"Driver only" HVAC modification

The Kia Soul EV has a setting on the HVAC system to direct the air coming from the fan, hot or cold, to the driver only. My wife has one of these and I get to drive it once a month or so. ☺ This HVAC function allows the car to use less energy on heating/cooling the whole car when the car is driven without any passengers.



Inspired by this I was thinking if could modify my C-Zero in the same way of some kind. One day driving to work I had the air direction know towards the floor. Leaning down on the passenger side I felt much nice hot air coming out of the passenger floor outlet. I decided to try to block this outlet. This would force the air out of the other vents, such as the drivers floor outlet or up to the windows.

I took a steel plate and made this:



Fitted in the car:



After testing it for a few days I find that it is working good. So will keep it. But as I sometimes has passengers in the car I would like to fit an hinge to the plate so that it be lifted up letting air trough.

This is an Interesting idea, but does it really make that much of a difference?

I would love to have an update from you in a few weeks time.

Brian

I've been thinking about this as well. Driving mostly alone, especially on longer trips, it seems wasteful to heat the passenger footwell. Especially since the footwells are exceptionally cold in this vehicle. I have to keep the air directed mostly down to keep feet from freezing.

My initial thinking would have been to block it with just some duct tape, or maybe a cork plug. The duct tape might get slimy when hot and peel away, so the metal solution is surely better. It would be nice to have it easily removable though, for those situation when you do have someone there. Perhaps a partial block might also suffice.

If a version with a sliding trap door can be prototyped...........
With those 3 d printers out there now, it could be possible that some one with the knowledge and a mock up sample could reproduce something simple like that and offer it for a small fee.