Get Amped Tour: Fremont, 6/23-24

[Brian H]

One interesting thing we noticed, there were four seats with the four different signature leather colors sitting out in the sun. All of them were quite hot, except for the white, which was merely warm.

So if you're concerned about black being hot, and thinking of tan instead, don't bother. It makes no difference. Only the white seat was cooler.

(This isn't that unexpected; it's well known that IR absorption matters more than visible color.)

Not prezakly. The white reflects more of all wavelengths. Every color turns into heat when absorbed, but not when reflected. As for the pano roof, cutting down all wavelengths is the real key. The eye has a huge range of adjustment, and even a few percent of full sun looks bright enough.

 

[Doug_G]

Not prezakly. The white reflects more of all wavelengths. Every color turns into heat when absorbed, but not when reflected. As for the pano roof, cutting down all wavelengths is the real key. The eye has a huge range of adjustment, and even a few percent of full sun looks bright enough.

You weren't there. Yes the full spectrum matters, but apparently it is not the dominant effect. The tan is only slightly darker than the white, but sitting in the sun the tan and the black were burning hot. The white wasn't - it was just a little warm.

 

[jerry33]

You weren't there. Yes the full spectrum matters, but apparently it is not the dominant effect. The tan is only slightly darker than the white, but sitting in the sun the tan and the black were burning hot. The white wasn't - it was just a little warm.

It only takes a tiny bit of non-white to absorb a tremendous amount of heat. For example the 18% gray card used photography (which isn't particularly dark) absorbs 18% of the heat. Really white white absorbs about 2% of the the heat. Darker colours absorb even more. Cloth feels cooler than leather because cloth doesn't conduct heat very well.

 

[Doug_G]

It only takes a tiny bit of non-white to absorb a tremendous amount of heat. For example the 18% gray card used photography (which isn't particularly dark) absorbs 18% of the heat. Really white white absorbs about 2% of the the heat. Darker colours absorb even more. Cloth feels cooler than leather because cloth doesn't conduct heat very well.

Okay then explain why the 90%+ black felt about the same as the ~15% tan...?

 

[jerry33]

Okay then explain why the 90%+ black felt about the same as the ~15% tan...?

Dark colours absorb the heat and pass it through. So the surface of any non-white material will feel about the same, but if you could put a temperature gauge and varying depth in the seat cushion material, you would see the difference. This is the same as the coloured cloth experiment in Junior High where you place white, black, and various coloured cloth squares on the snow and measure the depth to which they have sank.

 

[Brian H]

Haven't had enough test drive videos? Fine, I'll include mine. Driving: me, camera: wife, narration: five-year old son.

Curious; I thought there was an 8-yr. old rider cut-off. How did you get your 5-yr old along?

And what was his post-ride rating?

 

[Brian H]

Okay then explain why the 90%+ black felt about the same as the ~15% tan...?

Partly 'cause it goes both ways. What absorbs also radiates, so the darker colors also "dump" heat radiatively faster. There's going to be a balance point short of being burning hot!!

 

[bonnie]

Curious; I thought there was an 8-yr. old rider cut-off. How did you get your 5-yr old along?

The age cutoff was put in place after the Fremont event. Inside Tesla - 06.26.12 | Blog | Tesla Motors