Bug Residue on Windshield

[FutureBoy]

Tomorrow will be my last day of an over 8k mile road trip. I've been driving from Seattle, across the Midwest, down to Dallas TX, and back through Denver CO. Plus some side trips. Anyway, one thing I've really noticed on this trip is that while driving through the Midwest at night, I get a ton of bug residue on the windshield. Some bugs are small and just contribute to a general haze. But some are larger than that and result in an elongated smudge of considerable size. And whenever I stop for gas, I pretty much need to clean the windshield of bug residue if I'm to be able to see clearly for the next leg of the trip.

Given all that, I have a few questions.

1) What are the chances that the slope of the CT windshield will keep the vast majority of bugs from actually hitting and leaving residue?
2) Since my CT won't be seeing any gas stations, do super chargers have windshield cleaning supplies? Pretty much every gas station has the buckets of gooey water with the sponge cleaner and window scraper tool.
3) I can hardly imagine Elon being OK with the gas station gooey water window cleaner situation for his own vehicle. Is there some other magical way (I heard the laser idea but have yet to see anything suggesting CT might have that) Elon has of keeping the windshield bug (and hopefully dirt) free?

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[Eye of Elon]

2) Is a good question. You probably have time to clean your whole truck with a window cleaner at an EV charging station. It might be a good summer business opportunity for homeless people.

 

[CyberMoose]

Tomorrow will be my last day of an over 8k mile road trip. I've been driving from Seattle, across the Midwest, down to Dallas TX, and back through Denver CO. Plus some side trips. Anyway, one thing I've really noticed on this trip is that while driving through the Midwest at night, I get a ton of bug residue on the windshield. Some bugs are small and just contribute to a general haze. But some are larger than that and result in an elongated smudge of considerable size. And whenever I stop for gas, I pretty much need to clean the windshield of bug residue if I'm to be able to see clearly for the next leg of the trip.

Given all that, I have a few questions.

1) What are the chances that the slope of the CT windshield will keep the vast majority of bugs from actually hitting and leaving residue?
2) Since my CT won't be seeing any gas stations, do super chargers have windshield cleaning supplies? Pretty much every gas station has the buckets of gooey water with the sponge cleaner and window scraper tool.
3) I can hardly imagine Elon being OK with the gas station gooey water window cleaner situation for his own vehicle. Is there some other magical way (I heard the laser idea but have yet to see anything suggesting CT might have that) Elon has of keeping the windshield bug (and hopefully dirt) free?

So when it comes to aerodynamics, there is a layer of laminar air flow over the vehicle. The angle of the windshield would certainly help because bugs are very small and weight next to nothing, so they can be picked up by that air flow. Obviously that doesn't happen all the time and they can hit the windshield, that's because of the angle they hit the air flow and how fast they are going. If the angle is smaller like the Cybertruck will have compared to a lot of vehicles, the bugs should have a better chance of going over.

As for window wash stations at superchargers, I could be wrong but I don't think they have them. Personally I have glass cleaner and microfiber cloths in all my vehicles. I let the windshield wipers get most stuff and I get the spots that the wipers don't reach and anything that just doesn't get picked up by the wipers.

Another solution could be to just drive into a gas station, wash your window, laugh at the ICE vehicle owners and drive away.

 

[CyberMoose]

2) Is a good question. You probably have time to clean your whole truck with a window cleaner at an EV charging station. It might be a good summer business opportunity for homeless people.

That's actually a great Idea. When I was in high school, my shop teacher let me use one of the bays in the shop that almost never got used to detail cars during off periods and even in the summer. I detailed customer cars, teachers cars, parents cars, and student cars for $35 each. I was actually making more money on average in the summer than my mother was at work.

If I was out of work, or a student needing some work. I'd find a supercharger station or a non Tesla charger, contact the owner of the property and ask permission put up a sign to detail cars while they charge. A small cart with cleaning supplies is most of what you need and an power source for a vacuum.

 

[TirNaOg]

This used to happen badly on my expedition until I installed one of them bugbar thingys on the front.
I wonder if you'd need one of them and if so how it would get attached.

 

[akcoyote]

Another solution could be to just drive into a gas station, wash your window, laugh at the ICE vehicle owners and drive away.

Great idea!

I have never seen any "services" at superchargers other than the rarely seen trash barrel. Thus I doubt there will ever be any windshield cleaning facility at supercharger locations other than the suggested possibility of someone offering the service for a few $$. And that would probably only be at rather busy charger locations - most chargers I have visited are too lightly used to be worth the effort to offer the service.

 

[Crissa]

Some of the highway superchargers - the big ones with solar panels - do have window-cleaning gear. But most don't.

-Crissa

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Tomorrow will be my last day of an over 8k mile road trip. I've been driving from Seattle, across the Midwest, down to Dallas TX, and back through Denver CO. Plus some side trips. Anyway, one thing I've really noticed on this trip is that while driving through the Midwest at night, I get a ton of bug residue on the windshield. Some bugs are small and just contribute to a general haze. But some are larger than that and result in an elongated smudge of considerable size. And whenever I stop for gas, I pretty much need to clean the windshield of bug residue if I'm to be able to see clearly for the next leg of the trip.

Given all that, I have a few questions.

1) What are the chances that the slope of the CT windshield will keep the vast majority of bugs from actually hitting and leaving residue?
2) Since my CT won't be seeing any gas stations, do super chargers have windshield cleaning supplies? Pretty much every gas station has the buckets of gooey water with the sponge cleaner and window scraper tool.
3) I can hardly imagine Elon being OK with the gas station gooey water window cleaner situation for his own vehicle. Is there some other magical way (I heard the laser idea but have yet to see anything suggesting CT might have that) Elon has of keeping the windshield bug (and hopefully dirt) free?

Of course the whole topic of windshield wipers on the CT has come up repeatedly and is one thing Tesla hasn't ever talked about (like so many) that is essential in any vehicle. I am not trusting the composition or smoothness of the armor glass to handle mud or other sticky, gooey, things (such as bugs) so it would be a relief to find out what Tesla has in mind for the CT.

 

[John K]

Explosive bolts… removes windshield negating any bug and debri problem. Added benefit, escape from water submersion, air bag doubles as a floatation device.

Very scientific

I too am patiently waiting for an updated design and irksome questions answered.

 

[MEDICALJMP]

Laser beams.

ZAP!

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