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Even if Tesla do not survive, ten years from now every new electric car will be a descendant of the Model S in all the major ways - floor-mounted battery pack,

Even if Tesla do not survive, ten years from now every new electric car will be a descendant of the Model S in all the major ways - floor-mounted battery pack, lack of physical buttons, etc.

correctifier 14y ago
The Model S is a revolutionary car, but I really hope the the big touch display without physical buttons doesn't become the norm. I really prefer the feedback you get from them while keeping your eyes on the road, especially for common functions like the temperature and basic stereo control. People will disagree with me, but I have really grown to like the current iDrive system which lets me keep my looking up high while my hand sits in a comfortable position.
- moted 14y ago
  I prefer tactile response as well, however I'd guess that good voice activated controls will be introduced soon enough.
  - Zikes 14y ago
    I'd really hate to have to have to say "increase driver side temperature by 2 degrees" when I could much more easily just turn a knob without looking, thanks to muscle memory & tactile feedback.
    - jonknee 14y ago
      Me too, but I change temperature so rarely that it being on a touch screen would not be an issue either.
    - javajosh 14y ago
      But, your car can take so many commands that one cannot make a physical knob for everything.
    - javajosh 14y ago
      But, your car can take so many commands that one cannot make a physical knob for everything.
  - swohns 14y ago
    When driving, tactile response is a key safety feature, so you're eyes don't have to leave the road to make sure your button was pushed. However, I totally agree that the voice command is the next step, it is the only time I use Siri!
  - nathan_long 14y ago
    I don't want a touch screen OR voice controls. I want knobs and buttons. I can use a physical control without looking. It isn't confused by wind noise if my window is down. It doesn't bother a sleeping passenger. The only disadvantage to physical controls is mapping them to an ever-larger number of functions. The early iPods did that well with their scroll wheels and single button, but there are limits. Then again, maybe the large number of functions is the problem, not the controls.
- brc 14y ago
  I believe the new display being (been?) developed by Cadillac has got tactile feedback. Otherwise, yes, I agree with you. Touchscreen displays are as dangerous as texting while driving.
CamperBob2 14y ago
I'm a big Tesla fan, but I disagree. The only way electric cars can possibly make sense is if the batteries are swappable. The electric cars being built now are evolutionary dead ends, IMHO.
- kalininalex 14y ago
  The battery on Model S IS swappable, in fact quick-swappable, at least per Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/18/idUS245189596520110318 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/18/idUS24518959652011...)
  - CamperBob2 14y ago
    I actually didn't know that. Interesting, will read some more.
  - 001sky 14y ago
    That's cool for replacement, but the weight of these things is in the X00 kilos range. This is not swappable like a laptop battery. It may weigh up to a quarter ton. =/
    - biot 14y ago
      It would be great if the batteries were hot-swappable in a user-serviceable fashion and accessible via opening the front and rear car doors to reveal a panel at the bottom with battery bays. The batteries could be approximately the width of a hard drive with the depth of the battery being half the width of the vehicle. You would have perhaps 8 such battery bays accessible from behind each door, for 32 hot-swappable bays in total. A quick search shows that the batteries in a Tesla S weigh about 600 pounds, meaning each one would be 20 pounds; easy for just about anybody to change.
    - CamperBob2 14y ago
      I imagine you'd see small forklifts at service stations for that purpose. It would require a standardization effort that I don't believe is happening, though.

Even if Tesla do not survive, ten years from now every new electric car will be a descendant of the Model S in all the major ways - floor-mounted battery pack, lack of physical buttons, etc.

correctifier 14y ago

The Model S is a revolutionary car, but I really hope the the big touch display without physical buttons doesn't become the norm. I really prefer the feedback you get from them while keeping your eyes on the road, especially for common functions like the temperature and basic stereo control. People will disagree with me, but I have really grown to like the current iDrive system which lets me keep my looking up high while my hand sits in a comfortable position.

moted 14y ago
I prefer tactile response as well, however I'd guess that good voice activated controls will be introduced soon enough.
- Zikes 14y ago
  I'd really hate to have to have to say "increase driver side temperature by 2 degrees" when I could much more easily just turn a knob without looking, thanks to muscle memory & tactile feedback.
  - jonknee 14y ago
    Me too, but I change temperature so rarely that it being on a touch screen would not be an issue either.
  - javajosh 14y ago
    But, your car can take so many commands that one cannot make a physical knob for everything.
  - javajosh 14y ago
    But, your car can take so many commands that one cannot make a physical knob for everything.
- swohns 14y ago
  When driving, tactile response is a key safety feature, so you're eyes don't have to leave the road to make sure your button was pushed. However, I totally agree that the voice command is the next step, it is the only time I use Siri!
- nathan_long 14y ago
  I don't want a touch screen OR voice controls. I want knobs and buttons. I can use a physical control without looking. It isn't confused by wind noise if my window is down. It doesn't bother a sleeping passenger. The only disadvantage to physical controls is mapping them to an ever-larger number of functions. The early iPods did that well with their scroll wheels and single button, but there are limits. Then again, maybe the large number of functions is the problem, not the controls.
brc 14y ago
I believe the new display being (been?) developed by Cadillac has got tactile feedback. Otherwise, yes, I agree with you. Touchscreen displays are as dangerous as texting while driving.

CamperBob2 14y ago

I'm a big Tesla fan, but I disagree. The only way electric cars can possibly make sense is if the batteries are swappable. The electric cars being built now are evolutionary dead ends, IMHO.

kalininalex 14y ago
The battery on Model S IS swappable, in fact quick-swappable, at least per Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/18/idUS245189596520110318 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/18/idUS24518959652011...)
- CamperBob2 14y ago
  I actually didn't know that. Interesting, will read some more.
- 001sky 14y ago
  That's cool for replacement, but the weight of these things is in the X00 kilos range. This is not swappable like a laptop battery. It may weigh up to a quarter ton. =/
  - biot 14y ago
    It would be great if the batteries were hot-swappable in a user-serviceable fashion and accessible via opening the front and rear car doors to reveal a panel at the bottom with battery bays. The batteries could be approximately the width of a hard drive with the depth of the battery being half the width of the vehicle. You would have perhaps 8 such battery bays accessible from behind each door, for 32 hot-swappable bays in total. A quick search shows that the batteries in a Tesla S weigh about 600 pounds, meaning each one would be 20 pounds; easy for just about anybody to change.
  - CamperBob2 14y ago
    I imagine you'd see small forklifts at service stations for that purpose. It would require a standardization effort that I don't believe is happening, though.