Side mirror upgrade option

[Doctors Do Little]

I might be wrong here, but I think I remember something about the mirrors folding but being manually adjusted.

💯
I was being a puss about rolling down window in rain to pull it back flat.

 

[kvermeer]

Is there any potential for a low-drag upgrade? Camera side mirror systems have been talked about by designers for more than a decade, they promise an extra 10 miles of range on a Slate, and they solve the adjustment and folding problems. They're just not permitted by the regulations yet. American regulators have been behind the times by decades on conventional aspheric blind spot eliminating mirrors, so I won't hold my breath, but it would be cool.

 

[slate808]

FWIW, these are the side mirrors on my ‘03 Tacoma. I’m not the original owner so I don’t know if they are OEM or aftermarket but they are manual operated so I can adjust them from inside the cab no need to roll down the window at all. If someone from Slate Auto Design is on here maybe you can take a look at these as a future accessory. I would buy them.

 

[Shrink36s]

Solution. You're welcome.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Solution. You're welcome.

That is exactly what I need to be whipping out as I approach my garage door. My neighbors would likely just stare.

 

[Johnologue]

Is there any potential for a low-drag upgrade? Camera side mirror systems have been talked about by designers for more than a decade, they promise an extra 10 miles of range on a Slate, and they solve the adjustment and folding problems. They're just not permitted by the regulations yet.

I understand the desire for drag reduction, but the regulatory "delay", in this case specifically, is saving lives.

Camera mirrors are unsuitable for driving and only make sense because automakers are planning/pushing for autonomy.
https://www.theautopian.com/digital-rearview-mirrors-are-garbage-and-i-can-explain-why-with-science/
For example, mirrors preserve optical distance in a way flat displays don't. If there's a mountain in your rear-view mirror, it's far away. If there's a mountain on a digital mirror display, it is, optically, in front of your face. Your eyes need to refocus when they return to the road.

Using optical mirrors is a physics-based solution that works with human eyesight/perception, and allows drivers to move their head to modify their view. I've heard of people using camera-based mirror/view systems for the first time and recognizing something is weird or wrong. This is why.

I can't stop you, and it's your choice; I just think that choice should be made with awareness of these systems' inherent limitations.

American regulators have been behind the times by decades on conventional aspheric blind spot eliminating mirrors, so I won't hold my breath, but it would be cool.

I believe I've mentioned this in the past, but for "blind spot eliminating", my car has a two-part mirror with a different angle in the corner; and yes, I think this is a workaround for the law requiring flat driver-side mirrors.

Still, I think it works really well, and it gives me an extra optical view/tool to work with in maintaining awareness (to my frustration, this is often the corner where the stupid BSW beeper light goes, which adds distraction instead of awareness).

I kind of like the more clearly separated views versus the examples I saw for aspheric mirrors (which seemed to only sometimes have near-invisible lines), but I can see pros and cons.

I think some people complained about these last time I mentioned them, but it might've been about poorly-integrated and cheap stick-on ones.

FWIW, these are the side mirrors on my ‘03 Tacoma. I’m not the original owner so I don’t know if they are OEM or aftermarket but they are manual operated so I can adjust them from inside the cab no need to roll down the window at all. If someone from Slate Auto Design is on here maybe you can take a look at these as a future accessory. I would buy them.

Remote-adjustable mirrors that are mechanical instead of electrical sound like a good option, depending on implementation.

 

[kvermeer]

I understand the desire for drag reduction, but the regulatory "delay", in this case specifically, is saving lives.

Camera mirrors are unsuitable for driving and only make sense because automakers are planning/pushing for autonomy.
https://www.theautopian.com/digital-rearview-mirrors-are-garbage-and-i-can-explain-why-with-science/
For example, mirrors preserve optical distance in a way flat displays don't. If there's a mountain in your rear-view mirror, it's far away. If there's a mountain on a digital mirror display, it is, optically, in front of your face. Your eyes need to refocus when they return to the road.

What a great response and article! I'd never considered the optical distance difference.

My wife's Highlander has a (combination) digital rearview mirror, flip the latch underneath and it doesn't switch the prism to night mode, it switches to camera mode, she leaves it in camera mode 100% of the time and loves it. She doesn't have farsightedness, she's slightly nearsighted (and wears glasses). It is a 3-row SUV with a distant, tinted back window, the view is much less obstructed and the viewing angle much better with the camera. And yes, it does become very normal with practice. The Highlander also has their big infotainment screen that switches to 360 degree cameras, for parking, she LOVES that for parking. I think her ability to back into a spot with just her mirrors has atrophied from disuse.

All that said, digital center rearview and side mirrors may be garbage for people with farsightedness, but at least for my wife and I, that one has been great.

 

[Frozen North]

What a great response and article! I'd never considered the optical distance difference.

My wife's Highlander has a (combination) digital rearview mirror, flip the latch underneath and it doesn't switch the prism to night mode, it switches to camera mode, she leaves it in camera mode 100% of the time and loves it. She doesn't have farsightedness, she's slightly nearsighted (and wears glasses). It is a 3-row SUV with a distant, tinted back window, the view is much less obstructed and the viewing angle much better with the camera. And yes, it does become very normal with practice. The Highlander also has their big infotainment screen that switches to 360 degree cameras, for parking, she LOVES that for parking. I think her ability to back into a spot with just her mirrors has atrophied from disuse.

All that said, digital center rearview and side mirrors may be garbage for people with farsightedness, but at least for my wife and I, that one has been great.

Mirror atrophy, tell me about it. My wonderful wife has backed a car into another car parked behind but to the side of her in my driveway 3 times now. Only our old Ridgeline doesn't have a backup camera. The others have cameras with guidelines. That ridgeline has been run into yellow parking lot poles, our garage, a light pole in my yard and 2 cars in my driveway.
Talk about atrophy.
Watch out mailbox, your next!

 

[Doctors Do Little]

What a great response and article! I'd never considered the optical distance difference.

My wife's Highlander has a (combination) digital rearview mirror, flip the latch underneath and it doesn't switch the prism to night mode, it switches to camera mode, she leaves it in camera mode 100% of the time and loves it. She doesn't have farsightedness, she's slightly nearsighted (and wears glasses). It is a 3-row SUV with a distant, tinted back window, the view is much less obstructed and the viewing angle much better with the camera. And yes, it does become very normal with practice. The Highlander also has their big infotainment screen that switches to 360 degree cameras, for parking, she LOVES that for parking. I think her ability to back into a spot with just her mirrors has atrophied from disuse.

All that said, digital center rearview and side mirrors may be garbage for people with farsightedness, but at least for my wife and I, that one has been great.

Same on my wife’s GH. She doesn’t care where the magic comes from…just that it happens.

 

[Sturm]

Camera mirrors are unsuitable for driving and only make sense because automakers are planning/pushing for autonomy.
https://www.theautopian.com/digital-rearview-mirrors-are-garbage-and-i-can-explain-why-with-science/
For example, mirrors preserve optical distance in a way flat displays don't. If there's a mountain in your rear-view mirror, it's far away. If there's a mountain on a digital mirror display, it is, optically, in front of your face. Your eyes need to refocus when they return to the road.

I've had a few vehicles with camera "mirrors"...never used them. All I need is "rear-view" and sides.

 

[kvermeer]

Mirror atrophy, tell me about it. My wonderful wife has backed a car into another car parked behind but to the side of her in my driveway 3 times now. ...
Watch out mailbox, you're next!

The Escape, the Sequoia, my old Ranger, her old Grand Cherokee, my old Saab, the doorframe of the garage (once with the bumper and once on top with the rooftop carrier), my snowblower, and her friend's Caravan have all been gently and slowly... crunched. Kid's toys left in the driveway are not safe, kids and pets must be inside the house or the vehicle before the car is out of park. She parked far from stores and looked for pull through spots, we swapped drivers before parallel parking downtown, backing up a trailer wasn't even in the realm of possibility... it was bad, until we got the Highlander with its fancy overhead view 360 degree camera system:

Fortunately, I don't love her for her parking skills! And I don't know that she'll want to drive the Slate much. If she does, I'll back into the garage so she can pull straight out (puts the plug in the right spot for charging anyways).

I am adamantly NOT proposing that Slate offer a Platinum trim festooned with cameras and adopt that obscenely large infotainment touchscreen. This shouldn't be necessary, the vast majority of people drive safely with plain glass mirrors and their eyeballs...but not everyone.

 

[Frozen North]

The Escape, the Sequoia, my old Ranger, her old Grand Cherokee, my old Saab, the doorframe of the garage (once with the bumper and once on top with the rooftop carrier), my snowblower, and her friend's Caravan have all been gently and slowly... crunched. Kid's toys left in the driveway are not safe, kids and pets must be inside the house or the vehicle before the car is out of park. She parked far from stores and looked for pull through spots, we swapped drivers before parallel parking downtown, backing up a trailer wasn't even in the realm of possibility... it was bad, until we got the Highlander with its fancy overhead view 360 degree camera system:

Fortunately, I don't love her for her parking skills! And I don't know that she'll want to drive the Slate much. If she does, I'll back into the garage so she can pull straight out (puts the plug in the right spot for charging anyways).

I am adamantly NOT proposing that Slate offer a Platinum trim festooned with cameras and adopt that obscenely large infotainment touchscreen. This shouldn't be necessary, the vast majority of people drive safely with plain glass mirrors and their eyeballs...but not everyone.

Thanks for that, you had me giggling in the office loud enough to get people looking at me funny. 🤣
I long ago learned the "back everything in trick". It has saved me a lot of money and headaches.

 

[Driven5]

...my car has a two-part mirror with a different angle in the corner...

I think some people complained about these last time I mentioned them, but it might've been about poorly-integrated and cheap stick-on ones.

I have never driven even a factory integration of spot mirrors that I didn't find less safe than standard mirrors in the same housings adjusted to eliminate blind spots. They're a band-aid for poorly adjusted mirrors, at the expense of well adjusted mirrors.

 

[bartflossom]

The problem with manual mirrors isn't adjusting them. It's that going through a car wash totally screws them up. I had a 1969 C-10 back about 10 years ago and I got so tired of walking around, moving the mirror, going back and seeing I need to adjust again. The main problem was the right hand manual window crank was gummy and hard as hell to roll down so it was easier just to get out. And those damn mirrors got out of whack if you breathed on them.

That said, my 74 Monte Carlo back in the day had the cable adjusted side mirrors and I thought that was sooooo cool.

 

[Johnologue]

And those damn mirrors got out of whack if you breathed on them.

Yeah, I think that's one of the bigger points, aside from shared vehicles. Do manual mirrors ever have some kind of locking mechanism so they can't become misaligned easily, or is it just friction?