3 ms·

The thing I like the most about Tesla is the cars look futuristic without going _too far_. I feel like every other luxury EV company just goes off the deep end.

The thing I like the most about Tesla is the cars look futuristic without going _too far_. I feel like every other luxury EV company just goes off the deep end. The 3 and the modern S are the perfect design imo.

asteli 7y ago
I think they went overboard with the "everything must happen via the center console" interface strategy. From an aesthetic perspective, it is Very Pretty, but it's kind of hard to accept that the way to open a glove compartment is a button, on a screen, two feet and some menus away from the compartment itself.
- tills13 7y ago
  I definitely agree there. Dials and knobs are great because you can operate them without looking away from the road. However, I can see why they went down that path - if everything is done via the screen, they can add features via an OTA update.
- erikpukinskis 7y ago
  It’s not primarily an aesthetic choice it is about part count more than anything. The LCD is 10 parts and a lot of wiring. The same stuff in a trad vehicle is a thousand parts and all the same wiring and probably a display or two. It’s just more expensive to make.
  - asteli 7y ago
    That doesn't hold up, at least with my example. The glovebox latch on most vehicles is a couple of bits of stamped metal and a spring. By making it electrically actuated, Telsa necessitated adding a branch to the wiring harness, along with extra crimps and connectors to keep track of, and an actuator. This is all in addition to the latch mechanicals that would have been present already.
    - erikpukinskis 7y ago
      Now factor in assembly time. Now factor in some fixed cost from the more complex supply chain. Now factor in floor space in Fremont, which will determine whether a new line can be built without a capital expenditure for property. “Part count” is a reasonable proxy for that.
DannyBee 7y ago
I think the 3 and the s look nice but the x is just plain horrible. It looks like someone stopped designing it half way through and then just threw a spoiler on it and called it a day. (The first ipace and etron were also delivered to people who hated the style of the x, but otherwise liked it. The larger luxury market is funny this way - range will not be everything)
rthomas6 7y ago
I like the 3 except for the giant panel in the middle of the car that functions as speedometer and all other instrumentation at the same time. You have to look away from the road and gorilla finger your way through things to change anything while driving. It seems unsafe to me.

asteli 7y ago

I think they went overboard with the "everything must happen via the center console" interface strategy. From an aesthetic perspective, it is Very Pretty, but it's kind of hard to accept that the way to open a glove compartment is a button, on a screen, two feet and some menus away from the compartment itself.

tills13 7y ago
I definitely agree there. Dials and knobs are great because you can operate them without looking away from the road. However, I can see why they went down that path - if everything is done via the screen, they can add features via an OTA update.
erikpukinskis 7y ago
It’s not primarily an aesthetic choice it is about part count more than anything. The LCD is 10 parts and a lot of wiring. The same stuff in a trad vehicle is a thousand parts and all the same wiring and probably a display or two. It’s just more expensive to make.
- asteli 7y ago
  That doesn't hold up, at least with my example. The glovebox latch on most vehicles is a couple of bits of stamped metal and a spring. By making it electrically actuated, Telsa necessitated adding a branch to the wiring harness, along with extra crimps and connectors to keep track of, and an actuator. This is all in addition to the latch mechanicals that would have been present already.
  - erikpukinskis 7y ago
    Now factor in assembly time. Now factor in some fixed cost from the more complex supply chain. Now factor in floor space in Fremont, which will determine whether a new line can be built without a capital expenditure for property. “Part count” is a reasonable proxy for that.

DannyBee 7y ago

I think the 3 and the s look nice but the x is just plain horrible. It looks like someone stopped designing it half way through and then just threw a spoiler on it and called it a day. (The first ipace and etron were also delivered to people who hated the style of the x, but otherwise liked it. The larger luxury market is funny this way - range will not be everything)

rthomas6 7y ago

I like the 3 except for the giant panel in the middle of the car that functions as speedometer and all other instrumentation at the same time. You have to look away from the road and gorilla finger your way through things to change anything while driving. It seems unsafe to me.