My Mach-e GT had a metal roof, and it was cheaper than the version with the glass roof. There was/is no opening roof option on the Mach-e, just glass or metal. (I have not checked, but they might have discontinued the metal roof option.)
When the R1 was first revealed, they talked about a removable roof option. Like so many things they thought they would do, they have yet to release a removable roof R1.
I think the link defaulted to the windshield film. @twraps sells a sunroof film as well. There’s a UV and IR option, which I’ve installed and it works well.
I purchased a similar wire frame sunshade that is mesh and comes with a second mylar layer that you can add to double the thickness, reflect some light back, and make it opaque. I install it in the Summer, but now in the winter I prefer the glass and store it in my back seat compartment until Spring/Summer. One downside of the mylar layer is that when I have the windows down at speed, they make a flapping plastic noise that is annoying.I am not a fan of the glass roof. I love opening roofs because you can, well, open them. But as a driver sitting in the driver seat, a glass roof does nothing for me except make me hotter or colder. And my wife hates it because she doesn’t like sun shining on her face.
The easy solution to reduce sun exposure is a simple roof cover, like this one from Hanshow:
https://www.hansshow.com/products/rivian-r1t-glass-roof-sunshades?variant=45676072599764
That is the one I have. It works great except it billows when the windows are open. I do wish it would be more stable in that situation, but other than that, it works really well. However, it is not insulated.
To get a real benefit, insulating the roof is key. Reflective surfaces are great for reflecting heat, but do you want to reflect out the sun in the winter when that extra heat can help warm the cabin? No. But reflecting out the sun in the summer would be good.
In the end, I decided that cold temperate efficiency is more important to me than warm weather efficiency. And Rivian already does a good job with the glass roof regarding warm weather performance. I can turn on the shade, and it blocks the heat pretty well. Cold temperatures kill range and heating the cabin is one of the big reasons.
To retain as much heat as possible, a reflective surface faced into the cabin is best. Even better would be an insulated shiny surface. You can get sheets of that kind of thing from Home Depot, but mounting them to the glass is a challenge. And it will be ugly. I do care somewhat about the appearance inside my truck.
I have used this before to wrap ducts:
Frost King E/O 1 ft. X 1/8 in. x 15 ft. Self-Stick Foam/Foil Duct Insulation FV516 - The Home Depot
It is self adhesive, so it is easy to put on. And the foam side that sticks to the glass will absorb sunlight, hopefully not blocking too much of the heat in the winter. The other side is reflective, and should really help reflect the heat back into the cabin in the winter.
I put a strip on the glass as a test, and then covered it up with the Hanshow glass roof sunshade. I left it like that all summer and up until last night, so I could do measurements on how it performs in the summer and winter.
Here is what one strip looks like:
In the summer, I turned on the roof for extra sun blocking. In the winter, I turned off the roof to let in as much sun as possible.
In the summer I was very surprised to measure a significant difference in temperature where the insulated wrap was applied. On average, on hot days the insulated glass was 8 degrees cooler than the non-insulated glass. Amazing.
To be clear, when measuring those temperatures, I had been running the climate control so the interior was being cooled and with the full heat of the summer sun shining down on the roof. The temperature difference between the insulated and non-insulated roof was almost the same if the air conditioner was not running. That is because the cabin gets very hot in the summer, and tends to equalize.
In the winter, I have seen a similar temperature difference. The insulated side is on average 8 degrees warmer than the non-insulated side.
The cold weather measurement method above:
I turned off the heat to remove any unusual hot spots in the cabin from the heat blowing out of the vents.
- Heat the cabin to 70 degrees.
- Turn off climate control.
- Drive for about five minutes.
- Park and take measurements.
The temperature of the outside of the truck when I did the above measurements was around 23 degrees.
Last night I finished insulating the roof entirely. It is cold, and I want to get the full benefit of the insulated roof.
By the way, I am considering putting another layer on. It would be very easy to do. The roll linked above is enough to put one layer on the roof.
Here are the installation pictures:
Use a utility knife like the one below.
Push the wrap up into the edges and use the utility knife to cut it to size (along the yellow line shown below).
The final insulated roof:
Covered with the roof shade:
Doesn’t? What did you configure and did you consider what is each brand’s annual volume and economy of scale? Cost isn’t the same for all brands. It’s not the same as you going to the store and paying same price as your neighbor for a dozen eggs. Each manufacturer buys at volume. And it’s that volume and volume pricing that change cost per unit. Same reason production ramp is a significant topic for manufacturers and investors. And for those other brands/models, moonroof trims/options are never cheaper than ones without it. Typically several thousand dollars more. Extra materials. Extra production costs. Extra wiring... and copper! Seen copper prices lately? Historic all-time high this month. Per foot, Rivian would be paying far higher than other brands. Good thing they saved 44 lbs of it from gen 1 to 2.
I’m not sure, but my guess is that they don’t. I installed the film for exterior heat rejection.
No, they only help reduce heat coming from the outside sunshine due to reflective coating in the film. The heat generated inside will escape just the same in the winter.
Because that is not actually how the business case works for the OEMs or did for the various carlines I used to manage at one of them. You are correct that a steel roof is a lower production cost; it's not the other way around as previously suggested, but we're not getting into actual variable part costs, line operator labor costs, stampings, presses, robotic adhesive costs, etc. After having lived it for a few decades, folks can accept or reject this experience as they wish.
So that's where I read the warning about cracked glass.
No Heat Dome: Unlike traditional window tint, this film is installed on the outside. That means that 85% of the heat will be rejected before it even enters your cabin, eliminating the risk of cracked glass due to heat domes caused by traditional sunroof tints that are installed on the inside."
Yup. IR radiation blocker and thermal insulator. Two different properties that could exist in one material but not always.
