Climate Cover?

[jadnashuanh]

I know that it is expensive, but has anyone bought and used the BMW Climate Cover for the i3? From the picture, it almost looks like it is padded, which would also supply a bit more insulation. Radiant barriers need an air gap to work well, otherwise, they just conduct some of the absorbed heat as none of them are perfect mirrors. The best price I've found is around $180 with free shipping on the thing.

 

[jadnashuanh]

I found a place that was selling this for a (still) expensive price, but better ($150 or so), and bought it. I have been very pleased about how well it keeps the cabin cool, much more so than I expected. I use it when I'm going to be parked for more than a couple of hours - I do think the it will end up saving me enough in electricity for cooling costs on the car than it cost over its lifetime.

 

[alohart]

Does it have any anti-theft features? If not, it would be stolen where I live.

If it rains while the cover is on and rainwater runs under the back edge of the cover on the roof, I would be concerned that water under the cover in the hot sun could cloud the clear coat on the roof. This happened with a car cover that I had.

I would also be concerned about putting on a car that isn't totally clean. If there's any dust on the roof and the wind is blowing when the cover is on, cover movement could cause fine scratches in the clear coat on the roof.

Having used car covers for years, I am sensitive to problems that they can cause while doing their intended jobs.

 

[jadnashuanh]

There's a strap on the right-hand side with a ball at the end that gets closed inside of the car to require cutting it to remove the thing, or, open the door (or break the glass!). Don't know long-term if there will be any effects, but it does do a very good job of keeping the interior temp down (and, I have tint on all of my windows). The thing is quite reflective to IR it seems.