Does The Tesla Glass Roof Get Hot? (Things You Should Know)

Last updated on September 12th, 2023 at 03:02 am

Tesla is generally a premium and luxurious car brand, with some models having a full glass roof. As captivating as it looks, such designs have a few setbacks.

One of the major setbacks is that a full glass roof is not ideal for some weather conditions, especially in summer. 

Considering this, you may want to know whether the Tesla glass roof gets hot, especially if you are heat intolerant.

All Tesla models with a glass roof tend to retain some heat on a sunny day. In summer, the extended glass roof of the Tesla model itself gets hot. However, for some Tesla models, the glass roof is more energy-efficient than others; hence they do not get hot. 

You may wonder why Tesla’s glass roofs get hot, considering that glass is transparent and a poor heat conductor.

This article outlines all you need to know about Tesla glass roof heat in various models.

At the end of the road, you will know why and how hot glass roofs get and how to mitigate it.  

Why Does The Tesla Glass Roof Get Hot?

The major reason for the hotness of the Tesla glass roof is the degree of sunlight rays it shields.

The degree of hotness of the day is why the Tesla glass roof gets hot. On a clear sunny day, it is common to experience some degree of hotness.

In a more deserted place like El Paso, Texas, you will experience very hot weather conditions. 

Under such a climate, the Tesla glass roof’s heat is a common phenomenon. You may even see the heat radiating from the glass as though it is an already heated metal.

The greenhouse effect, a phenomenon with a glass roof, is another factor to consider. The sunlight as we have it comes with both infrared and Ultraviolet rays. 

And why most Tesla glass roofs are reflective; it will take more than a glass panel to reflect the full UV completely. 

Long UV rays from the windows can also cause heat beneath your glass roof. 

The case is especially worst when you forget to switch on the Tesla climate control to adjust the temp of the vehicle.

There are a lot of misconceptions and arguments regarding glass roof heat because glass is a poor conductor of heat. 

That is why you’ll only feel little or no heat when you touch a glass roof. The accepted theory is that Glass rooftops get hot but lose the heat rather easily and rapidly.

However, there is no saying that Tesla glass roofs completely reject heat 100%. 

How Do You Stop The Tesla Glass Roof From Getting Hot?

One of the easier ways to stop the Tesla glass roof from getting hot is by switching on the Tesla climate control. Climate control is available on every Tesla model with a glass rooftop.

With the climate control feature at the bottom of your touchscreen, you can prevent the glass roof from getting hot.

By default, the climate control is set to “Auto.” So, switching on the climate control automatically adjusts the internal temp setting of the vehicle. 

This way, the vehicle’s whole interior and glass roof are kept from getting hot. 

Another good way to stop the Tesla glass roof from getting hot is by using a sunshade. The sunshade is a light-weighted mesh fabric that has a collapsible rigid frame. 

Installing the sunshade in the interior wall of the glass roof helps to block thermal load and heat transmission. It goes further to make the interior cool with the AC.

Sunshade helps in preventing heat from passing through the glass roof to the interior car cabin.

So far, the use of a sunshade is the best external option when it comes to maintaining the desired temp.

The setback is that only a few Tesla model series allow sunshade installation. A good example is the Tesla Model 3 series which is the most compatible with the sunshade.

Another option to explore to stop the glass roof from getting hot is tinting the glass roof.

Aside from the additional protection from UV rays, tinting reduces the greenhouse effect. 

By tinting the glass roof of your Tesla model, you are, in a way, providing an additional panel to the glass.

So, dark tint goes a long way to stopping the Roof glass from getting hot. 

Tesla Model Y Glass Roof

Tesla Model Y comes standard with a clean full glass panel rooftop. One fantastic advantage of such a design is the extra headroom for passengers. 

Plus, the view of the sky is like no other. The internal illumination it provides is more like what a convertible offers. 

The Tesla Model Y glass roof is by far the best yet among the Tesla models that come standard with glass roofs. 

The quality of the Tesla Model Y glass roof is similar to Tesla Model S, although proven to be much better.

The far-aggressive price of the model Y glass roof is a good pointer of its quality. 

However, in terms of strength and durability, the model Y glass roof is second to the Tesla model 3. 

But regardless of the multiple features of the model Y glass roof, it still suffers from UV rays. There is no saying that a glass roof will shield you 100% from UV and heat.

So yes, the Tesla Model Y glass roof gets hot under sunlight. The full glass top roof also encourages a serious greenhouse effect in your model Y Tesla. 

For the above reason, you sometimes see sunshades even on the Tesla Model Y series.

In the case of the Tesla Model Y, the sunshade shields 66 percent of the thermal load from the sun. However, the climate control feature in the vehicle makes things a lot better.

The climate control feature regulates the internal temperature, preventing heat from the glass roof even during summer. 

Tesla Glass Roof Model 3

Tesla has a thing for luxury hence the manufacture of the Tesla Model 3 with an open-design glass roof. 

However, unlike the Tesla Model Y with a full roof glass, the model 3 has an obstruction bar. The obstruction bar divides the glass rooftop into two glass panels.

As an open roof covered with glass makes vehicles much more spacious, the model 3 also offers space. 

Alongside the comfort and view, the model 3 glass roof design grossly reduces the greenhouse effect when the vehicle is enclosed.

Amazingly, the Tesla Model 3 has the strongest glass roof among all the four glass roof-designed Tesla models.

However, like every glass roof design, the Tesla model 3 glass roof still gets hot under sunlight. 

Model 3 may have a reflective design but isn’t 100 percent efficient. So, while reflecting, the glass roof eventually gets hot, which heats the vehicle’s interior.

The Tesla Model 3 offers the lowest rejection of infrared rays based on experimental testing. Therefore, during summer, the Tesla Model 3 is always unbearably hot. 

Hence, you will often see a well-fitted sunshade that helps block the sun’s thermal load to reduce the heat.

The model 3 series is the most compatible Tesla model series for sunshade use. This feature increases your comfort from the Tesla Model 3 series in the summer. Buy one at Amazon.

Since the sunshade serves well in keeping the glass roof of the model 3 cool, you should be sure to have one. 

With the heat, you can only explore the external system to save your vehicle’s battery life. 

Remember that the more you employ the vehicle’s AC, the lesser your journey range since that Tesla cars are EVs.

Model X Tesla Glass Roof

The Tesla Model X is another amazing EV model that comes standard with an open design full glass roof. 

According to CEO Elon Musk, the Tesla Model X is the largest Tesla model series in terms of the glass roof. 

Plus, it has arguably the widest windshield among other SUVs. But you can be sure that the strength of the full glass roof is intact. 

Also, you will notice that the Tesla model X and model 3 have the same glass roof design. 

Like the model 3, the Tesla Model X comes with orange-colored glass. The special design helps in the reflection of sun rays. 

However, the tall and full glass rooftop of the Tesla Model X explains why it suffers the most from the greenhouse effect.

The more the open roof design, the more the transmittance of sun rays through the rooftop. 

So yes, model X may have a good reflection of sun rays. But it does not dispute the fact that the glass roof still gets hot.

The effect always becomes obvious over time. Using an adjustable sunshade helps in reducing the hotness of the glass roof.

Also, you can decide to tint the glass roof dark to reduce the greenhouse effect, which also heats the glass roof.

Tesla Model S Glass Roof

The Tesla Model S was the first glass roof vehicle in 2012. It is coupled with the technology in its fully adjustable roof setting, working more like a convertible.

However, the above feature does not elude the fact that the glass roof still gets houses in extremely sunny climates.

Seeing that it was the first glass roof model, there were many setbacks, including interior heating. The major heat came from the glass roof, which points to the glass getting hot.

Unfortunately, as glass is a poor absorber of heat, the entire heat flows into the car, causing the greenhouse effect.

Yes, there are features within the vehicle that help in keeping the glass roof and the interior conducive. 

In every case, you have the climate control feature to help with the glass roof’s hotness. With an additional external assist, you will be more comfortable.

The sunshade doubles to cool the interior and the glass roof of vehicles, especially when the Vehicle’s AC is running. 

Is Tesla Glass Roof Sunshade Worth It?

The Tesla glass roof sunshade is worth it regardless of what the cost price may be.

You can bank on complete protection from sun rays and burns to the interior of your Tesla.

The fact that sunshade grossly reduces the greenhouse effect is enough reason to value its worth.

Also, with the glass roof sunshade, you can effectively reduce the interior temp of the vehicle, especially with the AC on.

Unlike another component of the Tesla vehicle, the sunshade is not a mere additional convenience. 

Remember that the glass roof sunshade is the best external resort for stopping the glass roof from getting overly hot.  

Aside from the special function the sunshade performs, other features make it worth the price.

The fact that the sunshade cover comes in a customized design is a good selling point.

Easy installation, adjustment, and foldable nature all contribute to the sum of its worth.

Another factor to consider to validate its value is the exceptional material quality of the sunshade cover. 

It will amaze you to note that within the sunshade is a reflective cloth that will turn to reflect sun rays. What more can you ask after the Tesla glass roof sunshade cover?

So once again, the Tesla glass roof sunshade is worth the price, considering the above features. 

The table below contains a few pros and cons of the Tesla glass roof sunshade. 

Pros	Cons
Best external option for high temp insulation.	It is a little more on the expensive side.
The Sunshade cover is easily removable, adjustable, and foldable.	Sunshade requires more than one hand to install.
It doubles to help rapidly cool the interior with the AC.	It is not compatible with every Tesla model.