R2 cargo area air flow for dogs

[SANZC02]

My neighbor is biased... back in 2021-2022 when testing in death valley, he had to cut out a piece of cardboard to protect his head from the heat coming through the glass roof.

Might be a height thing. I’m not tall at 5’6 And tend to have the seat pretty low so a lot of space between the roof glass and my head.

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[Killer95Stang]

Might be a height thing. I’m not tall at 5’6 And tend to have the seat pretty low so a lot of space between the roof glass and my head.

At 5'-11", I put a shade in 14 months ago for an extended trip that went from Mammoth to Vegas in the summer heat .. and pretty much forgot about it and never took it off. When we had the Lucid loaner a few months back, I didn't even notice the heat from the glass roof.

Pretty much, I wouldn't worry about traveling with a dog in the back. Ours seems to be smart enough to let it known when he is uncorfortable with something.. otherwise, he sleeps.

 

[emk]

I think you underestimate how much millennials and Gen Z take their dogs everywhere. Kyle at OOO talks about it all the time. Dogs are family for younger generations under 40 or so.

59 here. If we travel, we always take our dog and many places they can't go inside. Even just stopping for fast food. This is nothing to do with Gen Z or Millennials. It's for all ages. Dog mode makes all the difference for enjoyment of our trips.

 

[macb00kemdanno]

I think you underestimate how much millennials and Gen Z take their dogs everywhere. Kyle at OOO talks about it all the time. Dogs are family for younger generations under 40 or so.

Just picked up our "baby" from the groomer. She's definitely a front-seat passenger princess when the boys aren't in the car. My boys are 14 and 10, and they consider her their "sister"

 

[Jeremy3292]

59 here. If we travel, we always take our dog and many places they can't go inside. Even just stopping for fast food. This is nothing to do with Gen Z or Millennials. It's for all ages. Dog mode makes all the difference for enjoyment of our trips.

Yes, but I was just pointing out to the other poster that this "need" stems from the younger generations, as evidenced by Kyle at OOO always harping on rear air vents and dog mode are a must for new EVs. All dog lovers of all ages are welcome by me!

My wife could care less about EVs and won't drive one. However, the utility of my Tesla (and soon Rivian) having dog mode is very practical and useful to her. I remind her of that when we have the dogs and are going places and she is asking what the plan is with them bc she's used to having them with her gas SUV. So dog mode is a big deal to a lot of people even those who don't drive EVs. Although with Lexus and every OEM going to the crappy smaller unreliable engines now her next vehicle might be a Rivian once the GX460 V8 is run into the ground in 5-7 years haha.

 

[RedScare]

Dog mode is for when the vehicle is parked. That should be a rare occurence that it gets used.

 

[emk]

Why is that? Do you not go into somewhere to use the restroom, or grab a bite to eat where dogs aren't allowed? It very well could be the difference of being able to travel with your dog and not.

 

[Thebandit]

I asked my RIvian Engineer guy neighbor this question.... since he has done extensive testing in hot weather with the R2. Without getting technical... he said the HVAC system is more efficient, since the R2 has a small cabin and it uses the same system as the bigger sibling (R1S)... but yes, he still recommends a sunshade for the rear hatch area if you plan on traveling in very hot climates with your dog in the hatch area.

A roof shade and ceramic tint on the back windows completely eliminates any potential problem.

 

[VandalSibs]

GenX actually rode in the "way back" of station wagons with no vents back there and with no vents in the 2nd row (not to mention no seats or seat belts). And they survived....

Hell, I remember a station wagon way back in my elementary school days that had seats in the back...... that faced backwards! That was a fun ride to McDonalds!

 

[emoore]

Dog mode is for when the vehicle is parked. That should be a rare occurence that it gets used.

That doesn't make any sense. The whole point of dog mode is to be able to take your dog with you on trips or errands or anywhere really.

 

[RedScare]

McDonalds? Ha! We rode in the back of the Dodge station wagon all the way to Myrtle Beach! Every year! That's how families of 9 traveled in the 1970s.

 

[3dogfl]

I doubt it will be an issue, but you can always add a small electric fan to further-circulate the air. I'm more-concerned about my dogs learning to open the rear window.....
OK, not really, but one of my dogs did open a side window once while we were driving.....had to lock that up quick.

 

[VSG]

I was surprised to learn that there is no B pillar or rear air vent.

I'm surprised this is a huge dealbreaker for you. I have a 4Runner which is very very similar to the R2 in many ways. My 4Runner does not have cooling in the rear seat (just 1 heating vent) and does not have any air vents in the cargo area at all. This has never been a problem with my kids or my dogs for 25 years. It's all one big area - cooling down the front also cools down the back. Why wouldn't it?

 

[AirplaneDr]

It seems like most people here have a fundamental misunderstanding of how air "circulates" in a car. It is not like your house with supply and return ducts. In a car air is sucked in from outside and is the heated or cooled based on the current HVAC setting. Since your car has a fixed interior volume that cooled or heated displaces the air already in the car through the cabin to vents at the very rear of the cargo area. There the air is then exhausted outside the car. So while your dog in the cargo area of an R2 is not receiving a direct blast of air directly from a vent they are very much receiving a healthy dose of conditioned air only slightly warmer than the rest of the cabin. This front to back circulation is how every car for decades has been made.

 

[mkennedy009]

GenX actually rode in the "way back" of station wagons with no vents back there and with no vents in the 2nd row (not to mention no seats or seat belts). And they survived....

And my folks cracked the rear window to let in exhaust on long road trips. One of the many reasons I am slightly retarded. My ADHD was always under control back then.

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