Heat difference for different color interiors

[pkalhan]

Hi Everyone,

Just have a question hoping someone may be able to give me some clarity on. It is well known or said that darker colored interiors get hotter than lighter colored interiors, but does anyone know if this is actually true or how much of a difference is it? I ask because I like the idea of having a black on black car (basic black exterior and black leather next gen seats), but then thought about the car sitting in a parking lot in a hot summer day and how it would compare to the same car, but with white leather next gen interior (exterior would be the same solid black). I am sure both would be really hot, but is there a noticeable difference between the two?

Thanks,

Kal

 

[JeffK]

Hi Everyone,

Just have a question hoping someone may be able to give me some clarity on. It is well known or said that darker colored interiors get hotter than lighter colored interiors, but does anyone know if this is actually true or how much of a difference is it? I ask because I like the idea of having a black on black car (basic black exterior and black leather next gen seats), but then thought about the car sitting in a parking lot in a hot summer day and how it would compare to the same car, but with white leather next gen interior (exterior would be the same solid black). I am sure both would be really hot, but is there a noticeable difference between the two?

Thanks,

Kal

With the new climate control features available in the newest firmware, does it matter anymore? As long as you have charge the max temp you set for the interior will/should be the max temp. Will one cause the climate control to kick on more often than another... yes but it won't be a big deal in 99.9% of people's' daily commutes. It might be a bigger deal when travelling and you need as much charge as possible, but then again when travelling you're typically in the car.

 

[azdryheat]

One of the news stations did a report on this a few years ago. Dark cars heated up faster but didn't really get any hotter. Their study said it was more urban legend. I have midnight silver and black interior in Arizona. Not a problem.
Get what you want.

 

[JeffK]

One of the news stations did a report on this a few years ago. Dark cars heated up faster but didn't really get any hotter. Their study said it was more urban legend. I have midnight silver and black interior in Arizona. Not a problem.
Get what you want.

Regarding external colors: http://phys.org/news/2011-10-silver-white-cars-cooler.html

That's regarding dark exteriors, but same physics applies to dark interiors. One has to remind themselves that news anchors don't actually practice science.

Basically if you plan to leave your car out in the sun and you use the new features, you might sacrifice some (very minimal) range in a darker car. Due to the climate control, they should be the same temp though as far as comfort is concerned.... your butt on a black leather seat on a hot summer day might be another story.

Just get the color you like best and manage the temp before you get in electronically.

 

[Twiglett]

Thing is though - that study proves that lighter color cars use much less energy to keep them cool.
So why is are 80% of the Tesla car colors dark?
Is it just to boast about the big battery that can afford to waste the extra energy to keep cool?
Even worse is that they discontinued white of all things

 

[SageBrush]

OP -- do you plan to get into a car that has been in direct sunlight for more than ~ 30 - 60 minutes at a time, refuse to ventilate the interior, and cannot be bothered with interior sunshades ?

Beware dark colors.

As someone who really dislikes hot weather and energy waste, and who lives in the sunny Southwest, I avoid dark colors

 

[mal_tsla]

So why is are 80% of the Tesla car colors dark?

I suspect most of the colors are dark because Tesla thinks the cars look best in dark colors. I tend to agree with them.

Full disclosure: I ordered white.

 

[SageBrush]

So why is are 80% of the Tesla car colors dark?

Consumer demand ?

 

[SageBrush]

One of the news stations did a report on this a few years ago. Dark cars heated up faster but didn't really get any hotter.

I think you are misinterpreting the information. While the peak temperature after a direct sun heat soak may be similar, that is an edge case. All the other times, the lighter colors are cooler.

 

[Twiglett]

Consumer demand ?

I thought they discontinued their most popular color
Mind you it also cost zero extra money, so I suppose that would be the real reason.....

 

[SageBrush]

I thought they discontinued their most popular color

Reference ?



Link

 

[Red Sage]

Convection. Radiation. Conduction.

 

[melindav]

Reference ?

View attachment 198762

Link

Your link also says:
"White has been the top color pick for all styles of cars since 2010, when it supplanted silver, which had reigned for most of the aughts."

 

[azdryheat]

I think you are misinterpreting the information. While the peak temperature after a direct sun heat soak may be similar, that is an edge case. All the other times, the lighter colors are cooler.

You could be right.

I only know August in Arizona, I don't care what color your car is, it's going to be hot.

 

[SageBrush]

Your link also says:
"White has been the top color pick for all styles of cars since 2010, when it supplanted silver, which had reigned for most of the aughts."

I wasn't sure from the article but I think for cars in general, white rules. Tesla and other luxury cars are a different story. It was difficult to tell when the author was talking only about Tesla.

 

[ChadS]

If I was in Arizona, or driving an ICE, I would want a light car to be energy efficient and cooler in the summer.

But with an EV in Seattle, I spend more time in cool weather than hot. And heat costs more than AC with no waste heat from an engine. So if energy efficiency is the key criteria (there are others, like appearance and comfort) I think a dark EV might be better in some markets.

Our Teslas are burgundy and metallic black, both with black interiors. For the few really hot days we have HeatShield sunshades and precooling by smartphone.

 

[SageBrush]

If I was in Arizona, or driving an ICE, I would want a light car to be energy efficient and cooler in the summer.

Absolutely.

I lived in NM for years, and while the ambient temperature was thankfully nothing like AZ in the summer, direct sunlight on a closed up car was too hot to enter, let alone hold the steering wheel. Over the years I learned to seek shade, park in directions according to the sun position when I planned to return, and always use a sun-shield. Cracking open windows makes a huge difference. Making everything hotter with dark colors was not in the cards.

Now that I live in a four season climate, I still choose light colors or silver but will avoid white. Harder to see in the snow ;-)

 

[melindav]

I wasn't sure from the article but I think for cars in general, white rules. Tesla and other luxury cars are a different story. It was difficult to tell when the author was talking only about Tesla.

Totally antidotal, but I see 2 white Teslas for every 1 in another color.

 

[Owner]

The Model S was the first car where I bought a black interior as there were at the time no other viable option (I don't like the Tesla tan color). I was quite surprised how little difference the color made for heat. I don't live somewhere extremely hot, but I actually like hot weather and have definitely left it in very hot places for a few hours. I've never found the seats to be scorching hot.

 

[BerTX]

I suspect much of the heat comes in through the windshield, which has less tint. The dash in all the colors is black, as far as I know. That heat will be there, regardless of the seat color. Use sun shades on the windshield.