Seriously you want to consider a solar powered vent on par with oil filters, automatic transmissions, hydraulic brakes, etc....? The items you listed may indeed have been called gimmicks by some at the time but anyone with half a brain can see the convenience or safety application with those types of options. I don't see a vent fan any where near being a necessary feature on future cars. I guess you can save this and show it to me in 10 years. Just because it my become a standard item though will never make it a necessity.
Mazda offered this option over 10 years ago. You can't get it anymore from them. I believe Mercedes dropped theirs as well- it's not on the S class for sure. I know Audi offers it on some current models, but only as an option. They also offer massaging seats which are just as gimmicky but at least you can use them year round if you like crappy vibrating massages.
What is your price point for solar ventilation? Would you pay $500 for it as an option? $100? Another 10 years and it won't be worth separating it out as an option. Many cars will just have it as part of the climate control system. The sunroof is different - it has been an option for decades, and most people don't consider it very important. Personally, I'd be happy to pay $400 for solar ventilation, and skip the sunroof. The only complaints I've seen from the folks in Arizona is that the solar ventilation shuts down late in the day, despite the fact that it's still hot. That's why there is remote A/C, to take over when the solar ventilation isn't sufficient. Solar powered ventilation isn't the total answer to heat management, but it is a significant contributor to comfort in a hot climate.
Thanks for noticing my car I LOVE the sunroof. It is not very noisy really. Plus the nice benefit is that it is a solar panel so when you get out of the car, it pulls the hot air out of your car so it is the same temp as outside. I use mine every day even when it is not hot outside. I really do love it and find it to be a great treat if you can afford to swing for it.
i had not been outside my car looking at the roof while it was open until PriusRos came over to look at my IV solar in Blizzard Pearl. I really really like the way it looks open, with the two pieces, and the "floating" look of the larger piece.
I only got mine yesterday (no longer Deb and the Cranberry!) Can't wait to see how it performs in the sun and it will be used as I live in San Diego with plenty of sun. I do live having a sun roof period, it is my first car with one. I was able to trade in my Salsa 2005 for a very good price so this didn't hurt $$wise at all! Getting window tints today and will post pics later.
Congrats! I also just got my car recently and got a chance to use the solar panel today and it's great! I went to the mall to get a haircut, on the way back we sat in the car deciding whether we should go back in and buy some groceries. We decided we would, but as I was about to leave, I suddenly realized the fan was blowing full blast! I was confused for a moment. I thought I had accidentally turned on the car, but glancing at the mid and nav screen (they were off), it finally dawned on me that it was the solar panel! I was under the impression that the fan would be really weak, I had no idea how powerful it would be on a nice sunny day. It's definitely worth it if you live in an area that has lots of sun! The sun roof is great too, I've been using every time I'm in the car to help get rid of that new car smell
Great news I can't wait for mine... But WHY do you want to get rid of the new car smell?? I thought most people liked the new car/leather/clean smell.
I wouldn't pay anything so I don't have a price point. OK, well, maybe I'd put $50 in it as an add on to automatic climate control but I'd never click it off as a desired option. Toyota would have to shove it on me like they do other options. I just don't consider it as ever being enough of a necessity that it will become standard.
I bet >90% of the drivers in this state and the surrounding states wish it wish standard in all vehicles. I've been snow skiing in West Virginia before... not to say that it doesn't get hot up there... but where I live can turn your car into a damn oven. Like I said in another post, I'd be getting the sunroof with or without the solar ventilation... but when I saw that it came with a solar powered fan that helped keep the interior of your car from baking, that sealed the deal for me. The remote A/C is just icing on the cake to me.
Ha ha, you're right it is great to smell that... But then again most of that smell is from the outgassing of the new plastics and whatever else the car is made of. And while all new car owners sniff that and get high off of it (isn't that why we all feel so great in our new car?), I'm just trying to cut down on my legalized substance abuse.
I love the look of the open sunroof from the outside as it makes the car look quite futuristic. I do have a question though about how/when the solar panels work. Are they activated only when it is "sunny" or do they work in any daylight? Yesterday as I was running errands with my 2006 Prius, the interior would get pretty hot while parked even though it was overcast outside and not all that hot. I was thinking how nice it would be to have the solar panel, but then I remember reading in a thread about how the ventilation turns off/down when a cloud comes over ...
Mid-day light overcast will get some airflow. Heavy overcast - not a chance. The occasional cloud passing over will cause the fan to slow as well.
