Tesla Model 3 Sunshades — CleanTechnica Review
I recently received a set of Tesla Model 3 sunshades/heatshields from EV Annex to review. I thought I was just getting a front and back sunshade/heatshield, but it turns out they provide the full Iron Man body armor for every little window in the car. So, yes, if you really want to block out the sun (and the view), EV Annex has you covered (bad pun, I know). Though, when you go to their online shop (link above), you can see that you can choose individual heatshields (just for the front windshield or back windshield, for example) or can get the full set.
The sunshades for the front windshield, back windshield, and glass roof are super easy to put on and take off, so I imagine I’ll be using them a bit. The front windshield one is the only sunshade among the whole pack that doesn’t include suction cups, but it holds fine underneath the car’s built-in sun visors.
The suction cups for all of the sunshades grip the window on one side and can be pulled off easily via a plastic hook on the other side. The only real challenges I had were with some of the side window heatshields.
1) The windows automatically open a bit when the door opens and close when the door closes, so you have to be sure to get them set up in a way that they don’t fall off in the process or block the window from closing fully. It seemed that I got that right on the first try on most of them, but then I did have to give it a few shots with the driver’s side front window.
2) I have two carseats in the back for my little girls, which makes it particularly hard to get the sunshades in the right spot (since I can’t easily sit in the back seats) with the doors closed. If I do it with the doors open, I face that problem of getting the sunshade in just the right spot that there are no issues when I close the door and the window automatically rolls up. Maybe I just need a bit more practice.
I’m mostly using the windshield and roof sunshades since they’re so easy to use and make such a big difference. Though, I also love the two little sunshades for the small pieces of glass behind the passenger windows — just because they’re so cool and fun.
As far as blocking out the heat — yep, they do that. In super sunny and hot Florida, that can be a big help. Before this period of extreme social isolation, I kept Tesla’s unique “Overheat Protection” feature on, a feature which keeps the car’s cabin below 105°F automatically until the battery gets down to 20%. But that uses quite a bit of energy. Just blocking out much of the heat is more logical in some circumstances, and even if you keep Overheat Protection on, the heat blocking from the heatshields saves you a chunk of electricity.
One unusual application that I’m sure I’d use these for if we were living in normal times would be blocking out the sun while waiting in the pickup line at my elder daughter’s elementary school. We spent quite a lot of time in that line before the whole social distancing thing took over our country, and even with the air conditioning on, the Florida sun and heat could make it hard to stay awake at times. Additionally, my younger daughter would often take a nap at that time, and blocking out the sun shining through her back window with a full heatshield would have been a big help. No doubt about it, I’d be using at least one of the back window heatshields for her if school was still open. Maybe next school year. …
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Overall, it seems there’s not a ton to write about sunshades. They block out the sun and heat. These ones from EV Annex appear durable and well designed to not damage your car. Note that they include a lot of suction cups and it is the buyer’s job to put the suction cups (and little hole protectors) on the sunshades. That’s easy enough, but takes a little while. If only you had a big chunk of time at home with nothing to do. … Oh, yeah. I found it’s a good activity to do while watching a movie or CleanTechnica video.
The sunshades appear durable, but I guess I need to put them through a few years of use to confirm that for you. I’ll try to report back in 2023.
What could make these Model 3 sunshades better? Hard to say. The only thing that comes to mind is a nice big CleanTechnica logo on the part that faces outward.
Want to buy a Tesla Model 3? Feel free to use my referral code to get some free Supercharging miles with your purchase: https://ts.la/zachary63404.
You can also use the code when buying a Model S or Model X, or can get a $250 discount on Tesla solar with that code. There is currently no use for a referral code when putting down a reservation for a Cybertruck or Model Y.
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