From Business Insider · Ben Shimkus · · 1m 30s
Tesla ditches sunroofs because nobody uses them
Tesla's chief designer explains why the company stopped offering opening sunroofs on its cars, citing data and manufacturing complexity.
In brief
Tesla's chief designer explains why the company stopped offering opening sunroofs on its cars, citing data and manufacturing complexity. Tesla removed opening sunroofs from its cars because data showed drivers rarely use them after the first week, and the feature adds costly complexity to manufacturing. Originally…
Tesla kills the opening sunroof
Tesla's current consumer models, the Model three, Model Y and soon-to-be-discontinued Cybertruck, now offer only fixed glass roofs. Opening sunroofs are no longer available.
Data shows sunroofs go unused
Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla's chief designer, told Jay Leno that Tesla looked at data and found people use the sunroof when they first get the car, then almost never again.
“We looked at the data and realized that people use the sunroof when they maybe first get the car.”
Sunroofs are complicated to build
Von Holzhausen said Tesla's old motorized sunroofs were really complicated, heavy and required many parts. They also showed up in service quite a bit.
“really complicated”
Manufacturing simplicity is Tesla's strength
Tesla's cars require fewer parts and fasteners to build than competitors. The company has taken steps this year to make assembly lines even more efficient.
Tesla simplifies its lineup
In April, Tesla stopped making the Model S and Model X. Last week, Elon Musk said the company was winding down Cybertruck production, citing the opportunity cost of its complexity.
Fixed roof gets better instead
The two thousand twenty-seven Model Y L keeps a fixed panoramic glass roof with triple silver coating to reflect heat. The glass rejects heat and sunlight and blocks UVB and UVA rays.
The key point
Tesla removed opening sunroofs from its cars because data showed drivers rarely use them after the first week, and the feature adds costly complexity to manufacturing.
