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K-MTG
Sunshade Captain of TMC
Perhaps we can all send them an email, asking for a sunshade?
Support | Tesla Motors
And link Elon Musk response stating a sunshade will come with each car: Elon Musk on Twitter:
Support | Tesla Motors
And link Elon Musk response stating a sunshade will come with each car: Elon Musk on Twitter:
While I think a shade might be helpful for some situations I have to add some 2 cents from other experiences which have convinced me that it won't be an issue (for me? YMMV?).
I have a sunroof right above my head where the X has the extended windshield and I drive with it wide open with the sun beating down with no tinting at all to block it and there isn't really an issue. The interior is much more lit up around me, but there is no bothersome glare in my eyes. I have a friend who doesn't like direct sunlight and he would prefer the tinted panel closed, but it's not enough for him to complain (he'll simply put his cap on to protect the skin on his head). When I drive with the shaded moonroof closed the non-issue becomes something that I don't even really perceive any more at all and my light sensitive friend has no issues at all (except for one design flaw in that the nav screen in my car is aimed directly at the sunroof opening so the sun can reflect off of that screen and into my eyes making it hard to read the nav map when the sunroof shade is not pulled - the X screen is aimed more directly at the driver and the car interior so I don't expect that light glare from the windshield will affect it the same way). The amount of "true roof" in my car between the windshield and the sunroof opening is about the same size as a flipped up sun visor.
I have a tint band on my windshield as well even though I have a regular roof. The tint is not very noticeable and looks to be less than the tint in the Model X that I took my test ride in and Bonnie's X that I sat in during daylight hours. I know from 8 years of experience with my current windshield that when I'm driving into the sun with the sun behind that tint band that I don't even acknowledge the sun being there until it dips below the tint. I especially noticed this one day after I'd seen the final X windshield because I was sensitive to the potential issue, but I confirmed that one day when I first noticed there was sun in my eyes that I had been driving along for several minutes with the sun in the tint band and I hadn't even realized it until I went over a rise in the pavement and the sun dipped below the tint band. I then drove for several miles moving my head up and down to bring the sun in and out of the tint band to see how much of an issue it was and the answer was "none at all". To be clear, the sun was fairly bright viewed through the tint band, but I didn't squint and since I had been driving with it there for several miles without even noticing, it isn't a visibility/comfort problem for me. I have not repeated the experiment with my light sensitive friend in the passenger seat, however, to see if he would want to pull the visor down when the sun is in the tinted band. (To be clear, my friend is not medically diagnosed with any light sensitivity - he just doesn't like sitting in direct sun and very much appreciates living in a city with lots of fog, preferring overcast days to blue skies - so I'm not sure he'd be a good metric for anyone who actually has some form of clinical light sensitivity).
I found the video to not provide enough information simply because it was taken with a video camera that has automatic white balance and displayed on an LCD screen that can not get any brighter than to display white pixels. The sun appeared with the same white pixels both when filmed through the tint (perhaps with a slight bluish shift, but not much) and when filmed through the untinted glass because the camera adjusts to make sure that it is the same white in both cases. The camera literally redefines the entire image around "the brightest spot at any given time is white and everything else is relative to that". One might be able to infer how much brighter it must have been in person by noticing how much the camera was stepping up or down the white balance as the view shifted, but I'm not enough of an expert to be able to measure the changing exposure and reverse engineer how more or less extreme the sun looked in either location. This is sort of one of those issues of "you have to be there" because modern video photography technology unfortunately can't really demonstrate the issue in any experientially meaningful way.
I have a sunroof right above my head where the X has the extended windshield and I drive with it wide open with the sun beating down with no tinting at all to block it and there isn't really an issue. The interior is much more lit up around me, but there is no bothersome glare in my eyes. I have a friend who doesn't like direct sunlight and he would prefer the tinted panel closed, but it's not enough for him to complain (he'll simply put his cap on to protect the skin on his head). When I drive with the shaded moonroof closed the non-issue becomes something that I don't even really perceive any more at all and my light sensitive friend has no issues at all (except for one design flaw in that the nav screen in my car is aimed directly at the sunroof opening so the sun can reflect off of that screen and into my eyes making it hard to read the nav map when the sunroof shade is not pulled - the X screen is aimed more directly at the driver and the car interior so I don't expect that light glare from the windshield will affect it the same way). The amount of "true roof" in my car between the windshield and the sunroof opening is about the same size as a flipped up sun visor.
I have a tint band on my windshield as well even though I have a regular roof. The tint is not very noticeable and looks to be less than the tint in the Model X that I took my test ride in and Bonnie's X that I sat in during daylight hours. I know from 8 years of experience with my current windshield that when I'm driving into the sun with the sun behind that tint band that I don't even acknowledge the sun being there until it dips below the tint. I especially noticed this one day after I'd seen the final X windshield because I was sensitive to the potential issue, but I confirmed that one day when I first noticed there was sun in my eyes that I had been driving along for several minutes with the sun in the tint band and I hadn't even realized it until I went over a rise in the pavement and the sun dipped below the tint band. I then drove for several miles moving my head up and down to bring the sun in and out of the tint band to see how much of an issue it was and the answer was "none at all". To be clear, the sun was fairly bright viewed through the tint band, but I didn't squint and since I had been driving with it there for several miles without even noticing, it isn't a visibility/comfort problem for me. I have not repeated the experiment with my light sensitive friend in the passenger seat, however, to see if he would want to pull the visor down when the sun is in the tinted band. (To be clear, my friend is not medically diagnosed with any light sensitivity - he just doesn't like sitting in direct sun and very much appreciates living in a city with lots of fog, preferring overcast days to blue skies - so I'm not sure he'd be a good metric for anyone who actually has some form of clinical light sensitivity).
I found the video to not provide enough information simply because it was taken with a video camera that has automatic white balance and displayed on an LCD screen that can not get any brighter than to display white pixels. The sun appeared with the same white pixels both when filmed through the tint (perhaps with a slight bluish shift, but not much) and when filmed through the untinted glass because the camera adjusts to make sure that it is the same white in both cases. The camera literally redefines the entire image around "the brightest spot at any given time is white and everything else is relative to that". One might be able to infer how much brighter it must have been in person by noticing how much the camera was stepping up or down the white balance as the view shifted, but I'm not enough of an expert to be able to measure the changing exposure and reverse engineer how more or less extreme the sun looked in either location. This is sort of one of those issues of "you have to be there" because modern video photography technology unfortunately can't really demonstrate the issue in any experientially meaningful way.
Geez, there are a lot of sun worshippers here aren't there? For me, the Model X windshield tint isn't strong enough. I do not like driving with sunglasses, and maybe that's my problem. But on a sunny day, with the sun shining through the tinted part of the windshield, I have to squint. It is not enjoyable.
I would hate to think that I'll have to buy prescription sunglasses and a baseball cap to enjoy this car...
I would hate to think that I'll have to buy prescription sunglasses and a baseball cap to enjoy this car...
K-MTG
Sunshade Captain of TMC
If I lived in the Bay Area or somewhere with similar climate I would like the sun. But here in SoCal, the sun is always shining (today is an exception). I asked if a sunshade would be available on the Tesla Live Chat, so it should be available soon.
Everyone has their preferences. If the sun is even partly out I always drive with polarized sunglasses. I believe it is safer (cuts glare, I can see everything more clearly) and more relaxing (no constant squinting). The only time I do not use sunglasses while driving during the day is when there is a complete layer of thick clouds.
Some caveats I should add, given my lengthy contribution above:
- Direct experience with a Model X should trump my experiments based on "similar situations" (thanks Cosmacelf).
- Extrapolating from my "this sometimes happens with my current car" experience to "this happens nearly 100% of the time with the X" is not a fair comparison since a constant stimulus affects people differently than an occasional one.
(And, I'm not a sun worshipper, but I'm also not averse to sun. I do wear sunglasses, often when driving, but as it turns out not at the time when I made the observations in my previous post.)
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Just to keep people informed...
While you are protected from UV by automotive glass while driving, if you step out of that car on that same overcast day you should probably grab the sunglasses as you go (provided they offer UV protection). Outside of the car the visible light has been reduced but the UV light is coming through just fine and your open irises will let more of the UV bake your retinas.
- Direct experience with a Model X should trump my experiments based on "similar situations" (thanks Cosmacelf).
- Extrapolating from my "this sometimes happens with my current car" experience to "this happens nearly 100% of the time with the X" is not a fair comparison since a constant stimulus affects people differently than an occasional one.
(And, I'm not a sun worshipper, but I'm also not averse to sun. I do wear sunglasses, often when driving, but as it turns out not at the time when I made the observations in my previous post.)
- - - Updated - - -
Just to keep people informed...
While you are protected from UV by automotive glass while driving, if you step out of that car on that same overcast day you should probably grab the sunglasses as you go (provided they offer UV protection). Outside of the car the visible light has been reduced but the UV light is coming through just fine and your open irises will let more of the UV bake your retinas.
This sun-shy Alaskan had to convalesce in Arizona for the month of June and some of July, so I can speak from a boreal perspective on the tinting of the Model S's sunroof. Am posting this here because I have had considerable feedback regarding both that sunroof and peoples' perception of the Model X's large windshield.
In the hottest portions that midsummer clear Arizona skies could throw at us, I never felt the slightest glare or heat coming through the glass roof. None whatsoever, full stop.
Looking at pictures of - I've no on-site inspection - the Model X window, it appears to me the tint at top equals that of the S sunroof for as much distance as would be necessary to alleviate glare and heat for virtually all drivers. As with everything in the world, there will be some exceptions. UV blockage, by the way, I will wager is identical regardless of whether the glass has tint or no.
In the hottest portions that midsummer clear Arizona skies could throw at us, I never felt the slightest glare or heat coming through the glass roof. None whatsoever, full stop.
Looking at pictures of - I've no on-site inspection - the Model X window, it appears to me the tint at top equals that of the S sunroof for as much distance as would be necessary to alleviate glare and heat for virtually all drivers. As with everything in the world, there will be some exceptions. UV blockage, by the way, I will wager is identical regardless of whether the glass has tint or no.
As I am reading seemingly conflicting reports on windshield tint and sun glare it occurred to me that in addition to some being more annoyed by sun than others another factor is driver's sitting position. For example 5.4" driver would not be as protected by the tint (as they sit lower) as 5.11" driver.
JohnSnowNW
Active Member
Sunglasses are generally very dark, I've almost gotten into accidents driving with them since I don't see as well with them when the sun isn't glaring. I also wear prescription glasses, in particular ones that darken when outside. But they don't darken inside a car since the car blocks UV. So I'd have to either buy prescription sunglasses, or get clip on sun shades, neither of which is an appealing solution.
Fundamentally, designing a car that requires the driver to use sunglasses is a bit obnoxious isn't it?
Mark Z
Active Member
The visor doesn't have to be magnetically clicked into position. It can be placed above and behind the rear view mirror and then lowered or raised in an arc to cover far more surface than the video shows. You just leave the magnetic latch to hang out in space like any other car visor that can do the same thing. The visor will not fall, it works without hooking to the mirror.
Tesla Motors designed it well, and only the area directly under the rear view mirror and directly above the rear view mirror may be an issue, but that is not where you should be looking when driving.
For physical safety, you would want to store the mirror on the side when not needed or attach it to the mirror. However, IMHO, keeping the sun from one's eyes takes precedent when necessary and letting it be positioned anywhere next to the windshield or side window allows you to do that.
I'd take a video, but my Model X is at the professional detailer getting paint correction and protective clear bra wrap front and rear. Search my posts and you can see the photos.
Tesla Motors designed it well, and only the area directly under the rear view mirror and directly above the rear view mirror may be an issue, but that is not where you should be looking when driving.
For physical safety, you would want to store the mirror on the side when not needed or attach it to the mirror. However, IMHO, keeping the sun from one's eyes takes precedent when necessary and letting it be positioned anywhere next to the windshield or side window allows you to do that.
I'd take a video, but my Model X is at the professional detailer getting paint correction and protective clear bra wrap front and rear. Search my posts and you can see the photos.
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Transitions lenses will darken in a car as they are sensitive to visible wavelengths.
Regarding the windshield, how much lower would the tint have to be to make you comfortable?
K-MTG
Sunshade Captain of TMC
When Tesla releases a sunshade for the Model X, hopefully it will be solid (not mesh like the S) and it will match the color of the headliner. Still waiting for 3rd parties as well. If we keep requesting a sunshade, they will release one as they value customer feedback.
I agree that it would be unfortunate if the car required sunglasses, and I didn't mean to imply that you should just start using sunglasses - I was just curious why you didn't like them.
As far as sunglasses being too dark - some are, and others work better in a wider variety of lighting conditions. I could be specific about recommendations, but I don't want to derail the current conversation with an aside. If there is too much light for the way that you want to drive your car, then that is the main point here.
Blastphemy
Member
There are several different types of Transition lenses, so if you want in-car dimming, you have to ask for it. They're either called "Transition III" or "XTractive" lenses, I believe.
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