Glass Canopy

DevTech

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Touring
I am thinking about upgrading my reservation from a Touring to a Grand Touring model. I want all of the upgrades except that I am uncertain about the glass canopy roof. I live in South Florida and wonder whether it will be too bright or too hot. I would appreciate any observations from anyone who has seen the glass canopy live - outdoors and not in a showroom. Thank you for any insights.
 
There is a new tinting technology that blocks infrared as well as UV light. We live in south Florida (Naples) and shared similar concerns about getting a Dream Edition. However, we got a Tesla Model S Plaid in August that uses this tint. It is marked by a purple hue in certain light, and I have seen that same hue in some shots of the Lucid Air's canopy, so I suspect Lucid is using the same tinting technology as Tesla. The glass roof in the new Tesla is much better at blocking glare and heat than earlier Tesla glass roofs. I had tried to order the pop-in mesh screen for the Tesla roof at the time we ordered the car, but it was not yet available for the new model. After living with the car for three months, we are not going to bother with the mesh. The glass presents no problem at all. It's made us comfortable that our Dream canopy will not be a problem.

Lucid has said that, with so many orders coming from southern California, Florida, and Saudi Arabia, they knew they had to ensure the canopy was not a problem in strong sunlight. So they did their testing of the tint formulations in the Arizona desert.

I think Rivian might be using this same technology in its full glass roof. Like Lucid, Rivian had originally planned to offer electrochromic glass. And like Lucid, they canceled it, claiming to have found a tint that is more effective at blocking unwanted light frequencies than a fully-darkened electrochromic panel.
 
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Even my late 2017 MS’s full glass roof was excellent at deflecting heat on the hottest NY days. I really don’t think that’s much of an issue these days. The bigger ‘issue’ was distortion & reflections for rear seat passengers looking out of it. You would see the dash lights reflected off of the canopy.
 
From my observation, Lucid did a much better job with the factory tint that Tesla did. Problem is it's fall weather when the sun is not strong. I'll take a pic from the backseat and post it later
 
Drove a DE last week in San Jose with glass roof. It is quite dark with a blue-purple color yet easy to see through. Maybe was the most immediately outstanding part of the car from the inside. Almost like one of the Jurassic Park bubble drives. Sales mgr said that it blocks IR and UV. Was not a hot day. Very comfortable. Will be a fortune to fix a glass crack :)
 
LOL. That is more Midwest. Can happen but very rare and never the big stuff that cracks glass. It will be in garage. I do hope it has the rollover protection of a standard roof. Side beams are thick like regular car.
 
It really looks spectacular on the car. However, it’s probably a bear to manufacture and not cheap to replace if it does crack.
 
Drove a DE last week in San Jose with glass roof. It is quite dark with a blue-purple color yet easy to see through. Maybe was the most immediately outstanding part of the car from the inside. Almost like one of the Jurassic Park bubble drives. Sales mgr said that it blocks IR and UV. Was not a hot day. Very comfortable. Will be a fortune to fix a glass crack :)

This is why I make sure my insurance always has a separate deductible for glass, of $0-50 haha. I’ve seen the Tesla glass replacements go for 2-3k.

That said, it is also really well sloped, so unlikely to get chipped or cracked by rocks on the road. Hail is different. :)
 
It really looks spectacular on the car. However, it’s probably a bear to manufacture and not cheap to replace if it does crack.
Someone that already has the vehicle should ask what the cost on a replacement piece is!
 
I actually sent an email about this to my delivery advisor earlier to see what the process might be. Lots of road debris here. We've had a few windshield replacements over the past 4 years.
 
I actually sent an email about this to my delivery advisor earlier to see what the process might be. Lots of road debris here. We've had a few windshield replacements over the past 4 years.
Might want to add a windshield rider to your insurance ;)
 
Oh, I already have full coverage. I just want to know if I can trust Safelite or a local dealer with changing the glass, or whether it'll need to be done at a service center.

Safelite will almost certainly not be able to handle it, unless it’s just a small crack smaller than a dollar bill. A glass rider would have a separate deductible, usually, if $0-50 where your collision/comp deductible may be much higher. YMMV. :)
 
I do hope it has the rollover protection of a standard roof. Side beams are thick like regular car.

I did a little digging on this a while ago and found several articles about rollover protection that discussed the advent of glass roofs. They all said that the thin sheet metal of conventional roofs contributes virtually nothing to rollover protection, all of which comes from the roof support structure of a car. Tom Moloughney of "InsideEVs" noted that the unusually massive roof side rails that impede ingress and egress in the Air are sized thus to handle the high weight of the car in a rollover.
 
Thanks @hmp10. Helpful. Re: Safelite or others. When inside, you see that the glass has multiple electrical connectors running along it at the top and cameras etc. Will not be simple like a regular windshield.
 
I actually sent an email about this to my delivery advisor earlier to see what the process might be. Lots of road debris here. We've had a few windshield replacements over the past 4 years.
Heard back from my DA. He said the glass canopy is easier to replace than it seems and that Lucid will have certified body shops that will be trained to replace them. He also said companies like Safelite would be qualified to replace them too.
 
What are your thoughts about getting the roof tinted? I have read in a couple of places on the forum that tinting the roof canopy can lead to cracks. The tinting shop we visited today also confirmed that going with a really dark tint could crack the glass canopy. Got any suggestions besides getting a separate glass replacement insurance policy?
 
What are your thoughts about getting the roof tinted? I have read in a couple of places on the forum that tinting the roof canopy can lead to cracks. The tinting shop we visited today also confirmed that going with a really dark tint could crack the glass canopy. Got any suggestions besides getting a separate glass replacement insurance policy?
I did 50 on the rear roof, but the front glass was 70...maybe that's not dark enough to trigger any cracking?
 
Any thoughts on specialty items that can be used as an interior shade while driving? My wife is really sensitive to UV and sunlight and the glass canopy isn't providing enough protection. And my previous message may end up being a non-starter if we can't get the glass canopy tinted.
 
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