When I was a kid, I remember traveling between El Paso, TX and Tucson, AZ with my parents in our 55 Ford that had “Side Vent” air conditioning. It was nice, especially in July.
I'm sure your memories are much fonder than the actual experience. When I was in the Navy in the 1980s, I rode with some friends from San Diego,to Yuma, AZ,on the 4th of July weekend. My friend was driving a little Ford Fiesta, and I rode in the back. Our only option was to roll the windows down at highway speed--I felt like a turkey in one of those "Jenn-Aire" ovens. It's a dry heat in southern CA/AZ, but 110F degrees is very hot.
Back to the point about these silly electric cars--the vent-style "cooling" might be ok for some, but the vast majority will not appreciate the backwards adjustment in comfort level.