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> there are NO stalks. turn signals are touch areas on the steering wheel. so are high beams, horn, wipers I didn't realize how important wipers were till last

> there are NO stalks. turn signals are touch areas on the steering wheel. so are high beams, horn, wipers I didn't realize how important wipers were till last winter. I was on a 2-lane road at highway speed going into a turn. There had been light snow the previous day which was thawed on the roads, so it was wet and muddy conditions. A truck in the oncoming lane either hit a puddle or otherwise deposited a large splash of muddy water on my windshield instantly, and due to the turn coming up I had to see where I was going. I had about 1 second to find the wipers (it was someone else's vehicle) or I would have gone off the road or into oncoming traffic. That's not the time to hastily search for the wiper button on a touch screen!

rootusrootus 3y ago
I'm not a fan of the removal of the stalks, but this deserves clarification. On the 2017-2023 Model 3, there's a button at the end of the left stalk that immediately activates the wiper. It's basically a mist button, which is also common on most every other car I've driven. So you can always get the wipers to activate instantly without getting anywhere near the touchscreen. On the 2024 Model 3, with no stalks, there is a steering wheel button on the right that serves the same function. Push for mist, hold for wash. Same as the button on the pre-2024 model. Stalkless is probably still going to be a deal killer for me, but still.
- gosub100 3y ago
  Thank you for clarifying. I just felt like sharing because I had no idea that windshield wipers could suddenly be as safety-critical as the steering or brakes, despite 24 years of accident-free driving. (Of course if it's raining, you need them, but every time I've driven in the rain there's still enough wiggle-room with partial visibility to pull over safely)
- m463 3y ago
  what I hate is that stalks, even overloaded with too many functions, were in a specific place you could reach for and activate. the steering wheel buttons move depending on which way you are steering. maybe not a big deal when the radio volume is wrong when backing up. Critical when you need to use the horn when backing out of a parking space.

rootusrootus 3y ago

I'm not a fan of the removal of the stalks, but this deserves clarification. On the 2017-2023 Model 3, there's a button at the end of the left stalk that immediately activates the wiper. It's basically a mist button, which is also common on most every other car I've driven. So you can always get the wipers to activate instantly without getting anywhere near the touchscreen. On the 2024 Model 3, with no stalks, there is a steering wheel button on the right that serves the same function. Push for mist, hold for wash. Same as the button on the pre-2024 model. Stalkless is probably still going to be a deal killer for me, but still.

gosub100 3y ago
Thank you for clarifying. I just felt like sharing because I had no idea that windshield wipers could suddenly be as safety-critical as the steering or brakes, despite 24 years of accident-free driving. (Of course if it's raining, you need them, but every time I've driven in the rain there's still enough wiggle-room with partial visibility to pull over safely)
m463 3y ago
what I hate is that stalks, even overloaded with too many functions, were in a specific place you could reach for and activate. the steering wheel buttons move depending on which way you are steering. maybe not a big deal when the radio volume is wrong when backing up. Critical when you need to use the horn when backing out of a parking space.