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Wired - What Tesla Needs to Fix Before It Gives Us a New Model S

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breser

AutoPilot Nostradamus
Aug 28, 2014
2,314
97
North Bend, WA
What Tesla Needs to Fix Before It Gives Us a New Model S | WIRED

Summary of the article:

  1. Adaptive Cruise Control
  2. Active Safety Features (Blindspot detection, lane keeping systems, cross trafic alerts).
  3. Disable touch screen while driving.
  4. Add buttons.
  5. Better storage space.
  6. More cupholders
Items 1 & 2 for anyone paying attention seem to be coming very soon, with new cars coming with sensors/hardware to support at least some if not all of these things.


Item #3 is absurd. It's one of the things I really like about the car. Just be responsible for your own actions.


Item #4, just doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. A lot of functionality can be controlled from the steering wheel. I'd much rather they expanded the voice commands to include things like climate control and the sunroof than to add more physical buttons.


Item #5, author seems to be unaware of the angled shelf below touch screen. There is a center console that seems to be shipping out very slowly. So far I haven't found the storage situation that big of a problem, despite being concerned about it when I got the car.


Item #6, they sell cupholders for the backseat, though I agree they are a bit of a joke. The center console also adds more cupholders in the front. But yes adding more cupholders would be a good thing to solve.
 
#4 -- Add ONE global LOCK/UNLOCK button, so I don't have to shift into park to let people into the car.

Like clea said, shifting into park is also one button press. And even if it wasn't, one should always put a car in park when someone is getting in or out of the vehicle. My uncle was run over while getting out of a truck years ago when the driver accidentally took their foot off the brake, then panicked when the vehicle started to move and slammed on the gas when attempting to hit the brake. Two broken legs.
 
Yes, we should disable the touchscreen while driving because none of us are capable of self-discipline nor are we ever accompanied by a passenger. While we're at it, let's create an electromagnetic field that disables all electronic devices in the car, like mobile phones, and iPads, lest the driver be tempted to touch them.

Nanny BS idiocy.

The day my touchscreen is disabled while driving is the day I sell my Model S.
 
What Tesla Needs to Fix Before It Gives Us a New Model S | WIRED
Item #5, author seems to be unaware of the angled shelf below touch screen. There is a center console that seems to be shipping out very slowly. So far I haven't found the storage situation that big of a problem, despite being concerned about it when I got the car.
I have the official center console (the new version; had the old version prior to that) and as much as I loved the big open space, the center console is really fantastic!!
 
What Tesla Needs to Fix Before It Gives Us a New Model S | WIRED

Summary of the article:

  1. Adaptive Cruise Control
  2. Active Safety Features (Blindspot detection, lane keeping systems, cross trafic alerts).
  3. Disable touch screen while driving.
  4. Add buttons.
  5. Better storage space.
  6. More cupholders
To be fair, item 3 was "Prohibit at least some touchscreen options while driving".

That being said, I strongly agree with #4. The touch screen is nice, but it is no substitute for reaching for a button or knob whose location is committed to muscle memory, has positive tactile identification and whose function can be engaged without the need to look. The interface should suit the task. Big screen = great for maps, graphs, etc... But when it comes to commanding a change in temperature or airflow settings, a knob is superior to fussing with a touch-screen. As a compromise perhaps I'd suggest the implementation of gestures for such functions -- i.e. input that is agnostic regarding screen location and can be accomplished without looking.
 
To be fair, item 3 was "Prohibit at least some touchscreen options while driving".

That being said, I strongly agree with #4. The touch screen is nice, but it is no substitute for reaching for a button or knob whose location is committed to muscle memory, has positive tactile identification and whose function can be engaged without the need to look. The interface should suit the task. Big screen = great for maps, graphs, etc... But when it comes to commanding a change in temperature or airflow settings, a knob is superior to fussing with a touch-screen. As a compromise perhaps I'd suggest the implementation of gestures for such functions -- i.e. input that is agnostic regarding screen location and can be accomplished without looking.

I hate the idea of adding more buttons and don't feel it is necessary nor helpful.
Most of the more common controls can be accessed though the steering wheel buttons and dials.
So if you really want a dial for temp settings, you have one.
 
To be fair, item 3 was "Prohibit at least some touchscreen options while driving".

That being said, I strongly agree with #4. The touch screen is nice, but it is no substitute for reaching for a button or knob whose location is committed to muscle memory, has positive tactile identification and whose function can be engaged without the need to look. The interface should suit the task. Big screen = great for maps, graphs, etc... But when it comes to commanding a change in temperature or airflow settings, a knob is superior to fussing with a touch-screen. As a compromise perhaps I'd suggest the implementation of gestures for such functions -- i.e. input that is agnostic regarding screen location and can be accomplished without looking.

Well stated and agreed. What should have been done long ago for all cars, is to have a standard layout for basic controls which once learned, allows operation without looking. This would have to be very carefully designed but it's surely possible. You already see attempts at this in all product design, but with massive variation in success - occasionally it's extremely effective (think about your various remote controls for TV, etc.) But anyway this is all about to become irrelevant however, with self-driving just around the corner. :)
 
Uh... because I have to them shift OUT of park? If I'm driving up to pick someone up quickly, I should be able to, like in any other ICE vehicle, unlock the doors and let passengers in, without shifting into or out of park.

Uh right ... in my experience shifting back to drive does not take a long time ... but I guess everything is relative and for me I'm willing to spend those precious milliseconds to keep the interface clean.
 
To be fair, item 3 was "Prohibit at least some touchscreen options while driving".

That being said, I strongly agree with #4. The touch screen is nice, but it is no substitute for reaching for a button or knob whose location is committed to muscle memory, has positive tactile identification and whose function can be engaged without the need to look. The interface should suit the task. Big screen = great for maps, graphs, etc... But when it comes to commanding a change in temperature or airflow settings, a knob is superior to fussing with a touch-screen.

There are no touchscreen functions in the S that I want disabled.

Yes knobs are easier, but modern cars are overwhelmed with knobs and buttons and physical controls. I hate that approach to providing lots of controls. BMWs and Porsches and other high end cars are so complex they are overwhelming. The S touchscreen is beautifully designed and implemented. That said, I'm sure that improvement is possible I would like voice commands for common functions.
 
I hate the idea of adding more buttons and don't feel it is necessary nor helpful.
Most of the more common controls can be accessed though the steering wheel buttons and dials.
So if you really want a dial for temp settings, you have one.

+1. I love the clean interface and design the dash currently has. I would hate to have it cluttered with an array of buttons and dials.

More knobs means less ability to update functionality through software. No thanks.

Yup.


Also, I disapprove of disabling the touchscreen or any of its features while driving. What about the passenger? Will they no longer be able to access the browser? That would be foolish IMO.
 
Uh right ... in my experience shifting back to drive does not take a long time ... but I guess everything is relative and for me I'm willing to spend those precious milliseconds to keep the interface clean.

But a dedicated button for the glovebox is ok?

At least give me the option to virtually re-program the glovebox button to be a lock/unlock button and move the glovebox button to the touchscreen.

Or, blasphemy, just have a mechanical latch on the glovebox like every other car has. The glovebox already has a mechanical actuator to unlatch itself (which is prone to jamming anyway), no need to have an electronic release button. Sorry, but that was the geeks going a bit overboard on the MS interface.
 
+1 for a few more buttons.

Bottom row of the touchscreen can be replaced with buttons. It never changes, so nothing lost from the UI.

3 buttons needed in the back of the center console so that passengers can control the heated rear seats.

The sunroof animation is cool and everything, but sometimes I just want to reach up and press a simple switch to open it, instead of messing around in controls menu, or having to assign it to a steering wheel button that I normally use for something else. Too complex and distracting for an electric window opener.

Never thought I would miss having a button to open the trunk as well. Very useful when picking someone up who needs to put something in the trunk.
 
Yes knobs are easier, but modern cars are overwhelmed with knobs and buttons and physical controls. I hate that approach to providing lots of controls. BMWs and Porsches and other high end cars are so complex they are overwhelming. The S touchscreen is beautifully designed and implemented. That said, I'm sure that improvement is possible I would like voice commands for common functions.

No kidding. We rented a car when we flew back to visit some family a few years back and got some Ford that had buttons on it that we never did figure out what they were for.