this post was submitted on 05 Mar 2024
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I feel like I'm the only one here who is driving a car and not a spaceship. What's there to interact with while you're driving? Key multimedia buttons are already on the wheel.
Some Teslas have their windscreen wiper settings on the touchscreen.
That's the funniest thing I've heard today
I think the latest models also have the gear selector (or whatever they're called for automatics / EVs) on the touch screen, so you need to swipe up to put it into drive.
So... the entire car is bricked if that screen malfunctions and the car is not usable by those with poor motor skills in their right hand?
Or left hand for right-hand drive cars, but yes.
I watch the CarWow channel on YouTube and they review a lot of EV's, and the host struggled with it - it would take him several attempts to get it into drive as he'd swipe up but not all the way so it would never actually engage. I guess in that case a software fix could be applied to make the control more sensitive but it's still fucking stupid to have it there in the first place.
Also for more WTFs, on that same channel, they do these challenges where they drive a bunch of EVs on a route and see which one goes the furthest, which has the closest range to what the manufacture claims it'll do and what happens to the vehicle when it runs out of battery. There was an instance where the Tesla ran out of charge, but they couldn't open the recharging port because the little door is electronic.
Making it “more sensitive” could be awful. Imagine the carnage of suddenly dropping into reverse because a shirt sleeve brushed the button while reaching for something else.
Critical controls all need to be physical. Period. Putting something like rbgd mood lighting on… okay. That kinda makes sense.
But anything a driver might need while driving…. Dont have to reinvent the wheel. Which, is probably the biggest issue with Tesla’s. They were more interested in finding new ways of doing things than doing things well.
Nope, there are alternative buttons, but I agree it’s not an improvement that they have removed the stalks.
Eh, many automatics nowadays just have electrical switches to change between p, n, d and so on, if those break it's the same... Normally a switch would be more reliable still than a screen, but this is Tesla we're talking about...
Holy shit that shouldn't be legal
It’s actually one of my biggest gripes …. Washer and single wipe are on a control stalk but wiper speed is on touch screen.
I think the theory is that wipers are automatic so you don’t usually need to control them manually, but that automation doesn’t work very well or maybe the rain sensor doesn’t work very well
The problem with automation is usually that while it can do 90% of the cases well, and that's where it brings value, for safety critical stuff, like critical car components, there needs to be a way to quickly and easily override it.
In the 1994 Ford Mondeo I used to drive, if a truck with a poorly secured load and a questionably awake driver was barreling down the highway at 110-120 in a rainstorm, if I wanted to get the car ready to pass, it was one move to click the wiper into "wipe for your life" mode before the truck started to powerblast the windscreen with water splashing up from the tires.
I'm not sure if I could do that in a Tesla, especially since if it does it only when it would already be needed, that's too late. And the thing is, even if the automation did work, how do I know 100% it does work when I do something that would be dangerous if it did not work?
Actually just now on my way home discovered a new feature ….
If I click the button for a single wipe, it also pops up the wiper dialog on the touch screen, so all the configurations are right there. You have to act fast before it disappears , so it’s possible that it’s always been there but I didn’t look at the screen right after pressing the button. Anyway, that greatly simplifies the process. While the controls are still touch screen at least I don’t have to click through the menu to find the controls
You can use the left scroll wheel on your steering wheel to adjust the wipers once you've pressed for a single wipe. Just click it right for more, left for less. No need to look at the screen at all really. There's a little graphic on the wiper controls showing you this.
Is that what the little arrows onscreen are meant to say? I’ve been trying to click on them, since it is a touchscreen and I expect to click on controls
Edit: sweet . Thanks for the tip. I think the timeout was just too fast for me to have discovered it
...while you're driving...
I’d be okay with it if the auto wiper function worked great, but they decided to drop the rain sensor and use the autopilot cameras for it instead and they simply haven’t been able to make it work.
Temperature control or defrost
In my Subaru, hvac is three large distinctive knobs I can use without looking. In my Tesla, it’s more automatic so I need to change it less, but it’s all in touch screen menus
Cherish that Subaru, because it's not that way in them anymore. At least, not in ours, which was purchased in 2021. Now hvac is all touch screen; it's awful.
When even the Japanese car makers fall to the temptation of stupid gimmicks, the whole industry must be at a crisis point
I have a 2024 Subaru and the A/C contols are on the screen now as well. The temp control and defrost are still buttons though, so while I would prefer physical buttons, the current setup is manageable and I’ve gotten used to it. I just make sure to set everything before driving, then use the physical temp controls to adjust when needed.
The problem is that even the fan speed settings/airflow settings are touch now, which require divided attention while driving to adjust. That defrost button turns the setting on full fucking blast, when most of the time there's no call for that, so I have to look and find the fan speed part of the touch screen. Adjusting the temp is only one small part of climate control in the cab. Plus, if you start out your drive with the seat warmers on, but now they're sweating you out while driving, you have to navigate into a separate menu via touch to turn them off.
Not to mention the never ending battle of adjusting the brightness via touch if it's blinding my eyes while driving at night VS barely being visible during the day.
It's all just so frustrating, and I wish there were at least options to take the damn thing out.
I get it, I wish the fan speed setting was a physical dial as well. Having said that, after 2 months of driving, I pretty much was able to figure out a routine where 99% of the time, I just need to adjust the temp and not have to fiddle with the fan speed. It’s not ideal of course, but stil better than literally everything on the screen like a tesla.
For the 2024 models at least, the heated seats are now controlled by switches next to the shifter, so no need to go through the screen to adjust or turn them on/off.
I personally haven’t had issues with the brightness, probably because my windows are tinted, so I can make it bright enough for visibility during the day, and not too bright at night at the same time.
Your complaints are valid though, and I agree, all hvac controls should be physical switches/dials.
TBH my old Subaru's auto climate control is so good I never change it from auto 20.5°C.
I actually want to use the auto so I can just set and forget. The problem is, at least for my 2024 model, it turns on the foot vents as well. I wish you could set it to auto but only using the face vents.
There's actually a good number of things: windshield wipers, blinkers, cruise control, climate control, defrost, headlights, hazards, and gear (prndl). You'd be surprised at which of these some companies have tried to put on the touch screen.
Now im imagining a spaceship with all the controls only on one big touchscreen
That would be the starship Enterprise.
Imagine what happens one morning when you’re having your morning coffee while walking to the big screen. You suddenly slip, and the coffee mug hits the display, decorating it with a spider web of cracks and a splatter of coffee. I hope you can make it to the next space station using nothing but voice commands.
No, you cannot use the voice commands because you didn't log in with Google.
If its Google, it would already been cancelled
Just before arriving to the orbit of Callisto, Google Landing AI got discontinued. Fortunately, Google Thruster is still operational, so we’ll just have to use the manual override to land safely. Let’s hope Google doesn’t kill that project any time soon.