Purpose of Cabin Overhet Protection?

[shinytop]

I have long thought Cabin Overheat Protection was for the effect of high temperatures on the electronics. But many cars have electronics even though not to the extent of Teslas. So is the COP for the comfort of drivers returning to their cars or for the protection of electronics? My car is not garaged so I am interested in the answer. But Tesla puts a 12 hour limit on CAP when you have it on. So that leads me to believe it should not have a limit if for electronic protection.

Your thoughts please?

Edit, apologies for the misspelling in the thread title. Apparently cannot edit it.

 

[Tam]

...comfort of drivers returning to their cars or for the protection of electronics...

Human:

I do feel there's a difference to set Cabin Overheat Protection on a very hot sunny day when the occupants would get back to the car.

The cooling seems to be much quicker than leaving it off.

Also, I've heard quite a few babies and pets die in non-Tesla cars and then suddenly Tesla released this feature over-the-air and I think it's very useful as a last resort measure.

105F is still very hot but it's much lower than without the feature.

Electronics:

Tesla did mention one of the factors that cause the yellow border of the S and X screens is heat. Thus, 105F is much better than the alternative.

 

[TOBASH]

Short answer... Spend a summer in Texas or near Death Valley and you will understand. Live in Pensacola or Alaska, and you won't.

Smart a$$ answer... Keeps the cabin from overheating.

Long Answer... Cars in Summer with closed windows build up heat. The windows allow sunlight to heat the vehicle and the closed windows don't allow heat to escape. All that energy gets in and it has no way to get out, so it will heat an interior to over 150F. It become a "solar oven". Potentially deadly. Also very uncomfortable, and the A/C won't be able to cool the heated air, seats, dashboards, carpets, etc... The cabin overheat mode will ventilate and cool a bit to prevent run-away temperatures.

 

[rkurtl]

As I remember when it came it out it was to protect kids and pets.

 

[shinytop]

Temps in Pensacola are normally within a few degrees of Texas. Sometimes hotter, sometimes cooler. This came up because checking my Tesla app the other day the interior was 132 with outside only 80 and I knew I had left Cabin Overheat Protection on. Read the manual and saw it would run for only 12 hours after leaving the car. So now that we are locked down I would hope Tesla would allow it to stay on as long as the car is plugged in, or if not plugged in happy to accept the 12 hour limit.

 

[Tam]

...hope Tesla would allow it to stay on...

I guess, in the beginning, it's more like a safety net for forgotten kids and pets so 12 hours would seem to be long enough to realize someone is missing.

Tesla already shuts down some functions (Sentry, HVAC, Cabin Heat Protection...) if the battery is down to 20% anyhow, so I think your suggestion should be quite reasonable.

You can write to Tesla under the "Contact" page.

 

[shinytop]

Thanks for the link. I have sent the suggestion in.

 

[animorph]

You might be able to go back in time and read posts about it when it was first announced. It was intended as a backup safety measure to protect kids and animals accidentally forgotten in the car.

 

[ShawnA]

Hi Shinytop,

If in the meantime you are unhappy with your car interior very hot,
turn on the A/C with a very high setting...

My car was at a service center last year in a field waiting for parts (in August).
I was concerned too that it got very hot inside of the car and I turned on A/C from time to time.
Certain plastics can melt at these temperatures and aerosol cans may explode at these
temperatures...
Be careful...

Shawn