7 ms·

Having to look down at a center-mounted console to see your current speed seems dangerous. Really, the whole "remove all tactile console controls and slap in a

• jacquesm 9y ago
  That's the same in every Mini.
  • nathanstitt 9y ago
    Not quite. The large round speedometer in the center on the mini is only to honor the old mini look. They also have a fairly large digital speedometer on the top of the steering column.
• 762236 9y ago
  iPad Pro
• spike021 9y ago
  While I completely agree, your statement made me consider that altogether it's not much different from looking down at a normal car's speedometer already.
• bryanlarsen 9y ago
  To be pedantic, the Model 3's speedometer is considerably higher than the speedometer of most cars. You have to look right, not down.
  • vvanders 9y ago
    Yup, to go even further the Saturn Ion had almost the exact same placement ~10 years ago.
    • mey 9y ago
      Remember car shopping and hating those center console displays. I like Mazda's HUD system (think some luxury cars have had such solutions for awhile) which allows you not even change the focus of your eyes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcZdisJihI8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcZdisJihI8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dr02z6tgss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dr02z6tgss
  • drak0n1c 9y ago
    Right, and if you're tall it's often a chore to see the speedometer through the steering wheel, it sometimes requires moving your head. This might be an improvement.
    • lttlrck 9y ago
      This is curious. I'm 6'"4 and have never had a problem seeing the speedometer in any car I have driven, sure I might have to adjust the seat but I've never had to peer around the steering wheel. This includes a 1974 TR6 that was way way too small for me, two Mini Coopers (though in that case it's the tacho behind the steering wheel), and various French and Italian cars. Now I have much bigger cars but it ain't because of the speedo.
      • snark42 9y ago
        > I'm 6'"4 and have never had a problem seeing the speedometer in any car I have driven I have this problem all the time. Often the top is cut off by the steering wheel. I adjust the seat and the steering wheel to fix it though, not a big deal.
• _rpd 9y ago
  Should be a heads-up display.
  • IronWolve 9y ago
    I was thinking this also, seems like the perfect thing.
    • _rpd 9y ago
      It could highlight hazards and turn-offs, especially at night. And all the other data that the automated driving system collects. I bet it'd be safer even if you didn't switch to fully automatic. It'd be awesome. Maybe we can get it as an add on.
  • sxcurry 9y ago
    I have a heads-up display in my Audi A4, and it turns out to be surprisingly useful. It shows speed limit, current speed, and upcoming navigation turns. The only problem is that it can be difficult to see if wearing polarized sunglasses.
    • Reedx 9y ago
      Interesting, I wonder if that's an unsolved problem - BMW's HUD has the same issue.
  • nradov 9y ago
    Yes that's one feature I really miss from my old Pontiac. I don't know why more manufacturers don't offer HUDs. It really does help improve safety by keeping the driver's eyes on the road.
  • Reedx 9y ago
    Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't do that. Once you have speed & navigation on the windshield you don't look elsewhere for that information. It's easier and safer, so it feels like a new standard. When I drive other cars it's something that I really miss.
• gdrulia 9y ago
  There are plenty of cars with speedometer positioned in the middle (particularly from french automakers), some people don't mind that. I personally never even look at the car with speedometer in the middle, just cannot stand the looks of it. Maybe by the time I will be able to afford Model 3 I'll grow not to mind their interior looks, but at this moment it's the most horrible looking interior I have seen. Seems more like something what hobbyist would do rather then automaker. Sad really.
  • izacus 9y ago
    They don't have it installed like Tesla though - it's higher in the field of view and usually in "infinite" focus. Not in a corner of a tacked on tablet.
  • 33W 9y ago
    I had a 2008 Toyota Yaris with the same center speedometer. It didn't take that long to get used to it, and I liked having an additional compartment in front of the steering wheel (for papers mostly).
    • soziawa 9y ago
      Just because you can get used to it doesn't mean it isn't dangerous.
  • dragonwriter 9y ago
    > There are plenty of cars with speedometer positioned in the middle They are usually set up to mitigate shift from far to near focus and how far you have to look from the road; they actually keep your eye closer to the road than traditional behind the wheel instruments. The Model 3 megatablet isn't like those displays.
• jobu 9y ago
  Hopefully the autopilot is good enough that we won't have to worry about our current speed. IMO, most automakers put too much crap on the dash and it eventually breaks or becomes outdated. I have two cars with built-in navigation systems that are essentially useless to me because they don't include traffic information.
• keymone 9y ago
  disagree. having buttons and knobs just because it's the norm and auto manufacturers don't want to risk changing annoys the crap out of me. remove every single tactile element. have convenient touch interface. have usable voice control. that's the future. that's also an exaggeration, but i'd like the pendulum to swing there and see where it stabilizes. Edit: what is it with people not reading the message before commenting on it? that's also an exaggeration, but i'd like the pendulum to swing there and see where it stabilizes. that's also an exaggeration, but i'd like the pendulum to swing there and see where it stabilizes. that's also an exaggeration, but i'd like the pendulum to swing there and see where it stabilizes. that's also an exaggeration, but i'd like the pendulum to swing there and see where it stabilizes. that's also an exaggeration, but i'd like the pendulum to swing there and see where it stabilizes.
  • ekanes 9y ago
    Someday, when the computer glitches or is slow to boot up, and you'd really like the AC to turn on, please update your comment above.
    • luka-birsa 9y ago
      Tried a Peugeot 308 2017 that replaces a lot od buttons (ac,..) with a touch interface. This being a french car maker they obviously skimp on having adequate performance - interface is slow as hell. Just increasing ventilation is a 30s process. It actually made me rethink my purchase an go for a different brand. I know buttons are expensive if you want good looking + ergonomic ones (a tablet is a great cost saving measure), but its worse for todays cars. For cars in 5 yr time touch will be the norm and not a problem since full autonomy vehicles remove the worry of keeping your eyes on the road. I would really count touch as a minus for tesla, but it sure is visionary. Kindof like we hated iphone for going with touch and no physical keyboard. It's stkll shitty bur we addpyed. Sort-off ;)
  • gdrulia 9y ago
    Couldn't disagree more, but I guess there will be that division between people. Cars are not the phones and at least until I'm driving my car myself, I will always prefer buttons or other tactile UI instead of touchscreen. And voice control, well if you are non English speaker, good luck with that :)
• JohnJamesRambo 9y ago
  That is hideous, is that the final version? Looks like a hacked in screen that would be in something while they are still developing it.
• cptskippy 9y ago
  Speaking from a necessity standpoint, how often does someone actually check their speed? How often does one need to check their speed? How often do you look at your car's thermometer, clock, compass, stereo, HVAC controls, or seat warmer switch? I would say 2 or more at least 2 times per car ride. In my experience I am either on small roads where the person in front of me or the windiness of the road artificially limit my speed to something around the speed limit. Or I am on a busy road where I am traveling close to the speed of traffic regardless of the speed limit. About the only time I check my speed is when I feel in danger and I want to rule myself out as the cause or when I see a cop car and I want to avoid getting pulled over. From what I have heard in reviews, the speed is displayed in the top right corner of the display and is no harder to see than a regular speedometer.
  • Erik816 9y ago
    I am constantly checking my speed. But I guess that explains my frustration at other people who seem to swing wildly +-5 MPH for no clear reason.
    • knicholes 9y ago
      This is why I'm so upset that my 2014 Leaf didn't have cruise control by default. It'd be like $300 to get it installed aftermarket.
      • cptskippy 9y ago
        $300 is surprisingly inexpensive. I'm assuming the wiring harness is in place and that's just to replace the steering wheel face to give you the controls?
        • knicholes 9y ago
          Oh-- I thought it was expensive!! Yeah, I can imagine all that needs to happen is they need to pull off a little face plate and put in the buttons/switches. I'm now embarrassed that I haven't figured out how to do it myself.
• mikeash 9y ago
  What makes it any worse than having to look down at an instrument panel?
  • noselasd 9y ago
    Takes longer to move your gaze, and less of the road is in your peripheral vision.
    • skykooler 9y ago
      Seems basically the same as the Toyota Prius.
      • deleted 9y ago
        [deleted]
      • dragonwriter 9y ago
        The newer Prius speedometer (etc.) is a more distant, behind the console display. (Previously, Prius used behind-the-wheel.) The angle might be similar (though the Tesla looks significantly lower), and the Tesla display seems (again, from photos) to require nearer focus.
    • mikeash 9y ago
      Is it actually farther away, in terms of angles, than a normal instrument cluster? Looks similar to me. I haven’t sat in one yet though.
• craftyguy 9y ago
  I've driven a model 3, and it's not distracting. The position relative to your eyes is very similar to the position of the dash on a Prius, for example.
• tetraodonpuffer 9y ago
  to, for example, having to change the autopilot cruise control follow distance apparently you have to - find and tap "vehicle settings" - find the "autopilot" text label and tap it - now find the "+" and "-" buttons and tap them to adjust how many seconds are your eyes going to be away from the road while you do this? And if the sun is in the right place to make it hard to see, for how much longer will you be distracted while you do this? When it's raining I usually adjust the speed of the windshield wipers very often depending on precipitation level and spray of the car in front of me, the last thing I want to do in a reduced visibility situation is to have to futz around with a touch tablet to do so: I want a rotating dial on the stalk so I can change things without having to look anywhere else. Apparently on the model-3 this setting is also part of the tablet interface. I cannot believe that when you have tons of "distracted driving" laws to prevent people from texting while driving, manufacturers are allowed to produce cars where you more or less need to text to actually control the car. I am all for technological advancement, but having a tablet-driven car makes as much sense as having a tablet as your desktop keyboard where you'd have to look down all the time to figure out where the keys are.
  • deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  • slowmovintarget 9y ago
    Which is why Tesla is putting so much emphasis on voice controls.
    • icebraining 9y ago
      That sounds annoying when you kids sleeping in the back seat.
    • tetraodonpuffer 9y ago
      do you think it's a better user experience to have to say out loud "windshield wipers faster" / "windshield wipers slower" every 30 seconds compared to subtly clicking the control on the stem? How well will it work with music on and while you're having a random conversation with your passengers? How well will it discriminate random voices on the radio telling your car things like "driver seat recline angle flat" or "driver seat position full back"? Voice control is a good things for services but not for driving related controls, it's a QOL increase to be able to tell your car "set the a/c to 67 degrees", but let's leave the driving related functions (lights, wipers, cruise, ...) to hardware buttons/dials on the stem where they belong.
• dchuk 9y ago
  Sort of related, but an idea I had recently on a longer drive: I want a max speed control in my car. Not cruise control, I just want to be able to set the max speed I can ever drive on my current trip (say, 75 mph) and then my car only ever goes that fast when I am pressing the accelerator. I recently got a much faster car, and on the drive I would look down and realize I'm going way too fast. Would be nice to not have to trust my foot for that.
  • IntronExon 9y ago
    That sounds incredibly dangerous. What if you need a burst of acceleration in some emergency? Edit: Good points about the emergency cutoff being feasible, I stand corrected.
    • dchuk 9y ago
      Well, it's the inverse of cruise control. So some comparable way to disengage quickly like tapping on the brakes could be thought up I'm sure.
    • schrodinger 9y ago
      How about have a point at which the pedal has extra resistance, and if you push through it, you can go over the limit?
      • IntronExon 9y ago
        That makes sense, and I’d pay for that feature.
      • zyber 9y ago
        I'm pretty sure that the Volvo XC70 I rented two years ago had exactly this feature. If you'd kickdown it will release all the furious anger hidden beneath the hood.
        • jacquesm 9y ago
          Every automatic does this, even a 1980's classic Mini has a kickdown cable. It basically forces the gearbox to shift down to one gear lower than it would normally do at the speed you are traveling at.
• mattkevan 9y ago
  In the U.K. there’s such concern over being distracted while driving that it’s illegal to touch a smartphone while driving even if you’re just using google maps. Not sure a giant touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard would be any better. What would be cool would be a long thin OLED screen where the instrumentation normally goes. And physical controls with a Taptic-style feedback mechanism for navigating dynamic interfaces. This would allow for a more fluid, updateable UI while still keeping important info in the eyeline. More expensive than just slapping an off-the-shelf LCD panel wherever it’ll fit I guess...