That's exactly my issue with the changes! They are solutions to non-existent problems. Every other radical UI/control system change we've had in the Model S or Model 3 before this was to improve functionality or usability. I'm just not convinced that there is anything to be gained from the new wheel or especially from the new button controls on the wheel. As someone who has worked on airplane cockpit design before for high-end business jets, there is a lot of bad design practice going on here.I'm willing to be convinced - it does look very space-age - but I will contain my enthusiasm until thousands of more adventurous folk have played with it for a year or two and commented on it.
Those hidden buttons have GOT to be a bad thing, and if the yoke is fly by wire with variable "gain" on the turning circle I can see many issues where the driver is unsure of where the car's going to point in traffic. As for the car effectively telling the driver whether it's going to go forward or back, talk about a solution to a non-existent problem!
I'm hopeful the AI PRND isn't a nightmare, but all it takes is one botched multi-point turn in a crowded parking lot to piss off the users and erase the time savings from normal operation. Again, it's a move with very limited upside and significant downside. Sure, if it works perfectly it'll be a minor convenience, but there is a lot of risk of operator backlash here. Any touchscreen implementation of shifting is going to be less convenient if the driver has to look at a screen to make sure they are selecting the right button. Critical functions need tactile feedback or different activation mechanisms than non critical functions.