What's the POINT of a glass roof?

[Wol747]

Before I bought my Model S I was concerned about whether the sun would heat the interior up to the same sort of temperature at the surface of the sun. (I live in Australia where summer temperatures can get up to the 50 degree mark).
So far no problem, certainly during the fall (which is now).
However, what's the point of a glass roof? I have to admit that I am almost never aware of it - it's always a bit of a surprise when I glance up and see my reflection - usually I can' see anything outside through it.
I would guess that it weighs more than a steel or certainly aluminium roof. It's unlikely to be stronger than either. The insets where the glass is glued to the body must produce extra interference drag by generating vortices. It's got to be less safe in the event of a bad crash. I would also assume that it might suffer damage more readily than a metal panel by stone hits or hail.
All in all, I can see very few arguments in favour of them - but I'm always ready to be convinced!

 

[Akikiki]

Easy question. To watch Falcon9 take Dragon Crew to space.

 

[Wol747]

Easy question. To watch Falcon9 take Dragon Crew to space.

Not a convincing argument....

 

[Akikiki]

Heeeyyy, they can't all be winners.

 

[nico180]

It provides more headroom, front, and backseat, also from the backseat you do get to enjoy a spacious view.

 

[MIT_S60]

It makes production easier since robot arms can put more stuff inside the cabin.

 

[Wol747]

Still waiting....

 

[David_Cary]

2015 Model S here. Have hail damage from a storm a few years ago. The glass roof is perfect.
So one positive is hail. It is unlikely for hail to break glass but it sure can dimple aluminum or steel for that matter.
Second positive - it is easier to clean. No worries about scratching paint.
Third - it looks better dirty than paint.
Fourth - the contrasting roof color adds some visual dimension to the car. It is a 2 tone car (unless black) without being cheesy.
Fifth - no headliner to get dirty over time. Or hold cigarette or other smells.Or to off gas.

Steel was an option in 2015. The steel roof car was not as attractive to me (i have a white car). The main issue was headroom - a single material of glass is thinner than steel and headliner. It was a significant difference.

The model S and I believe all Teslas have great crash scores on rollovers.

Now the weight is the big negative. But somehow the positives won out despite Tesla at least having some concern for weight (aluminum and all).

 

[jmaddr]

@David_Cary nailed it and I’ll add one more. Just because you are not aware of it while riding doesn’t mean you don’t “sense” it. The extra room provided coupled with the light it does let in certainly contributes to an “airy and open” feeling even if you are not aware of it, especially with the white seats.

 

[Wol747]

Interesting!
I'm not sure about hail: like the midwest in the US we get pretty apocalyptic hailstorms which cost billions for the insurers, and glass is one of the worst costs
I would disagree with #2. As regards #3, I put a DIY ceramic on after taking delivery and it certainly sheets off the dust from the horizontal areas.
4 is a personal thing: I have a white car and the black roof to me doesn't enhance it.
Certainly 5 is valid: I had a Saturn in the US years ago and the Southern heat didn't go well with the lining, which gradually started falling down around me.
It would be interesting to see the crash tests' statistics metal v glass.

 

[croman]

Anyone that wonders why people want windows instead of metal walls will really love prison.

The rest of us don't need convincing.

Btw, I consider the all glass roof to be one of the greatest features of my car, but I factor my passengers' experiences and not just my own.

 

[drklain]

I compared all three roofs (solid, the all-glass and the sun-roof that opens). There is confusion with the older models because at one point the sun-roof version was called the glass panoramic roof. The thing that was most obvious to me is that the one-piece all glass roof had significantly more headroom than the other two options. The sunroof has a cross-bar in the middle of the roof and the exterior sides sit much lower (near the side of your head in the front seats). This may be a factor for tall people. I'm not tall (5'7") but I noticed the difference. The real difference is in the rear seats where the additional headroom and glass roof make the car seem much airier and not closed in.

I was concerned about both overheating the car and the car being cold in winter with the glass roof option but have not found it to be an issue.

 

[Big Dog]

MIT is spot on. Glass roof allows the production robots entry to do their thing. (The downside is that it makes the car noisier than an insulated steel roof.)

 

[AMPd]

I would have loved a carbon fiber option. Or aluminum like they used to offer.

 

[ucmndd]

MIT is spot on. Glass roof allows the production robots entry to do their thing. (The downside is that it makes the car noisier than an insulated steel roof.)

Surely the steel roof and sunroof are simply panels/modules like the glass roof that can be added at any appropriate point in production?

I find this argument hard to believe because for quite some time Tesla was producing all three roofs at once, on the same line, with the same robots and people. You might be able to speculate this NOW as this is the only roof option available, but I find it hard to believe Tesla would radically redesign the line 5 years down the road in the midst of all their other projects to take advantage of a big roof hole.

 

[ucmndd]

I love my glass roof for many of the reasons mentioned above. It’s the best headroom option (I’m 6’ 5”). Has a great wow factor for passengers though I admit you rarely get the benefit as the driver. The light coming in makes the whole cabin feel more spacious.

I also live in a hot area with summer temps that can approach 115 F (46C). I’ve never had any uncomfortable (or even noticeable really) heat intrusion from the roof.

 

[timvracer]

LOL.. OP, you don't like it, that's your personal view. You are trying to pretend it is an objective argument. I LOVE IT, I absolutely can see through it, and look up often (AP is on). In fact, cloudy skies look amazing through it, so much so that I have several pictures I have taken through the roof as it acts as an amazing photography filter!

It is beautiful how it contrasts to my car's midnight silver, and love not having a fabric or whatever top inside my car, definitely feels like prison when I get into other cars now.

But hey, if it's not your thing, that's fine. Your choice.

 

[2101Guy]

From google. (shocker)

the glass roofs provide Tesla's electric cars a lot of natural light, they also help optimize the space in the cabin, adding precious centimeters' worth of headroom for passengers


Also

he NHTSA gives the Model S a five star rating, in all categories. As to the roof:
"The car reportedly broke the machine NHTSA uses for roof-crush evaluations."

And while not a model S, these stats speak to the strength of the Tesla glass roof:

Safety tests have also proven that Tesla's glass roofs are durable, with the Model 3's roof withstanding over 20,000 lbs of force during the NHTSA's evaluation The Model Y's glass roof is Tesla's best yet, and it can redefine car camping trips

Not sure if metal roofs would hold up this well. Tesla Model 3 shows off insane roof strength in multi-car pileup

 

[SD Diver]

Anyone that wonders why people want windows instead of metal walls will really love prison.

The rest of us don't need convincing.

Btw, I consider the all glass roof to be one of the greatest features of my car, but I factor my passengers' experiences and not just my own.

Had a 2013 P85+ with a sunroof. Now have a 2020 LR+. Really miss the sunroof...

 

[AdamMacDon]

Before I bought my Model S I was concerned about whether the sun would heat the interior up to the same sort of temperature at the surface of the sun. (I live in Australia where summer temperatures can get up to the 50 degree mark).
So far no problem, certainly during the fall (which is now).
However, what's the point of a glass roof? I have to admit that I am almost never aware of it - it's always a bit of a surprise when I glance up and see my reflection - usually I can' see anything outside through it.
I would guess that it weighs more than a steel or certainly aluminium roof. It's unlikely to be stronger than either. The insets where the glass is glued to the body must produce extra interference drag by generating vortices. It's got to be less safe in the event of a bad crash. I would also assume that it might suffer damage more readily than a metal panel by stone hits or hail.
All in all, I can see very few arguments in favour of them - but I'm always ready to be convinced!

I also was against glass roofs until I got my Model 3. I live in Canada, so heat is less of an issue than in Aus. However, after a year of driving with it, I notice two distinct (practical) advantages over steel roofing. The first is I am 6'4 (about 192cm) tall, the extra headroom provided by not needing a headliner or any of the padding associated with it is appreciated. The second is it allows more ambient light into the cabin, meaning the glaring sun outside is less hard on the eyes since they adjust properly. In my Dodge Charger with the steel roof, I am constantly squinting and needing sunglasses, even on days that aren't that sunny. A well tinted glass roof lets enough light in so your eyes adjust, but not enough to blind you from above (like with a regular glass pano roof).

And then there are non-practical advantages like it looks cool, or your passengers may enjoy looking out of it