Changes you expect to see on the RC?

[AnOutsider]

So the RCs are probably a month or so out at this point, but what changes do you expect (or hope) to see?

Expect:

• Cleaner dash
• Polished UI on the touchscreen (and no lag!)
• Tighter leather on the seats
• exterior tweaks and accents (for perf models)
• Updated cupholders (better positioned)
• Cleaner execution of the below-screen storage space(s)
• Updated steering wheel
• More polished interior (including the upgrades)
• Autodimming mirrors (is homelink on the rear view?)

Hope:

• Steering wheel from Model X
• Floating screen from Model X
• Blind spot detection system

I'm sure I'm missing stuff, but offhand, this is what I've been waiting to see on the RCs. Note: this doesn't include INFO that we expect too (like front plate, standard features, data plan inclusion and costs, SDK etc)

 

[Lloyd]

At the X event I found a flaw with the charge port covers. One of the Tesla attendants was standing next to the white Model S static display and brushed up against the red plastic cover. He bent it backwards and easily broke it clean off! This was much too easy to break and needs a little re-engineering. Either the hinge needs to be moved more to the outside of the car to allow it to fold back 180 degrees, or it needs a spring loaded release to act as a safety should it be opened more than 90 degrees.

 

[Beavis]

A guy can dream......
Storage pockets in the doors
Improved cup holder location
Storage in the center console for phone, change, iPod, and sunglasses
A center console
More music storage than 3,000 songs
The X steering wheel
Cushy seats
A charger cover that doesn't break
Adaptive cruise control
More standard bells and whistles than I can think of for this post

 

[brianman]

Hope:

• Floating screen from Model X

Yuck. Violently disagree with you on this one. If I wanted a duct-taped screen on my dash, I'd buy my own tablet instead.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Yuck. Violently disagree with you on this one. If I wanted a duct-taped screen on my dash, I'd buy my own tablet instead.

+1. That's one thing that the S has gotten right over the X.

Wow, didn't realize that the fears many had about the charge port door were actually well-founded! Tesla, please fix ASAP!

 

[AnOutsider]

At the X event I found a flaw with the charge port covers. One of the Tesla attendants was standing next to the white Model S static display and brushed up against the red plastic cover. He bent it backwards and easily broke it clean off! This was much too easy to break and needs a little re-engineering. Either the hinge needs to be moved more to the outside of the car to allow it to fold back 180 degrees, or it needs a spring loaded release to act as a safety should it be opened more than 90 degrees.

Wow, that's crazy. It does look a little flimsy. Sorry GG, I'm still firmly in the floating > wedged camp.

 

[NigelM]

So the RCs are probably a month or so out at this point, ....

Everything I've heard it's most likely they'll be out in mid-April. We could well still be 2 months away.

Yes, to the X steering wheel, no to the floating Xpad.

 

[onlinespending]

Yuck. Violently disagree with you on this one. If I wanted a duct-taped screen on my dash, I'd buy my own tablet instead.

Good to see I'm not the only one that prefers the Model S integrated look of the screen.

Yes, they really do need to change the standard music storage capacity. 64GB or greater flash storage would be a negligible cost to them. I've seen deals for 120GB SSD's at $90 for the end consumer. Considering they'd be just buying flash chips in bulk, they could probably get that at a considerably cheaper cost.

The steering wheel in the beta wasn't even adjustable. So at least the steering column was not complete. Not sure if they'd change the actual steering wheel in any discernible way.

 

[Trnsl8r]

After refreshing my memory of the October event and visiting a beta recentely:
- Effective anti-glare magic for the touch-screen.

 

[tdelta1000]

I agree on the Model S screen layout as well and I also think they need or rather should increase music storage.

 

[MitchL]

I agree on the Model S screen layout as well and I also think they need or rather should increase music storage.

I've made peace with the screen positioning/layout and the overall dash look. I am not expecting major changes there.

For RC, I'm expecting:

- Some difference in the look of the steering wheel. I do NOT expect the X wheel to be on the S.
- Something a little easier to use than the current transmission control on the steering column. However, I believe the transmission selector WILL be on the steering column, not pushbuttons or other controls. It's so small right now that I could easily mistake it for windshield wiper controls, it spooks me.
- I expect the seats, cuphoders, cubbies, etc to be different from what they are now. (I didn't say better).
- For the audio system, you'd think that adding flash would be easy for more music... but I'm hopeful that I can use a USB thumb drive and just leave it plugged in. I'll always have my iPhone with me, which is where my music lives today.
- I expect there to be _some_ solution for front license plate mounting.

I do NOT expect:
- Model X steering wheel
- Parking sensors (boo!)
- Blind spot warning

I also don't think the software will be perfect on day 1. They'll need the feedback from the owners of the first few thousand cars to get it right. I believe it will work, but functionality will have some rough edges or quirks (maybe the iPhone/Android app won't be available on day 1). Early owners will get more rapid software updates as they finish off functionality and fix critical bugs, we'll need to be patient.

/Mitch.

 

[ckessel]

Good to see I'm not the only one that prefers the Model S integrated look of the screen.

You're definitely not the only one, though it seems like pretty divergent love it/hate it opinions. Perhaps Tesla would have been better of going 15" as the 17" seems too big to integrate smoothly. Ah well, it's a done deal.

 

[Trnsl8r]

I also don't think the software will be perfect on day 1. They'll need the feedback from the owners of the first few thousand cars to get it right. I believe it will work, but functionality will have some rough edges or quirks (maybe the iPhone/Android app won't be available on day 1). Early owners will get more rapid software updates as they finish off functionality and fix critical bugs, we'll need to be patient.

/Mitch.

+1 on that, patience will most likely be needed. But I expect the bugs to be merely annoying and won't leave anyone stranded, like what happened for our friend on the Fisker forum: Bad Karma - it left me stranded!
But from what I've seen so far TM is so diligent, quality oriented, and un-stressed, that I doubt that would happen. Under-promise and over-deliver once again.

 

[AnOutsider]

Yes, I fully expect there to be quirks out the door and rapid iteration to fix issues and make improvements based on customer feedback. If they had more time, I'd even say they should have maybe delivered the 100 SS vehicles (those guys are likely early adopters and accepting of these types of things) as part of a dry run, tweaked and iterated based on real feedback, then began the full rollout.

 

[ckessel]

Yes, I fully expect there to be quirks out the door and rapid iteration to fix issues and make improvements based on customer feedback. If they had more time, I'd even say they should have maybe delivered the 100 SS vehicles (those guys are likely early adopters and accepting of these types of things) as part of a dry run, tweaked and iterated based on real feedback, then began the full rollout.

The Founders cars come first, right? Maybe they'll flush out some of the bugs.

 

[MitchL]

... somewhat offtopic, but related: I've asked a couple of times for Tesla to provide a customer-facing bug tracking system, so we can enter bugs into the database directly rather than sending zillions of emails to our CAs. This would make it easier for software engineering to notice duplicates or see trends from customers.

With the level of integration they're going after, Tesla much more of a software company than a typical automobile manufacturer. Our cars really are computers on wheels!

To make this on-topic:

- I hope for, but unfortunately do not expect, an official bug-tracking system/database/website for Model S software and hardware (customer facing).

/Mitch.

 

[AnOutsider]

The Founders cars come first, right? Maybe they'll flush out some of the bugs.

True, but how much sooner do they get theirs before the SS? If it's a month or more, then yeah, there's some time to quickly get some bugs squashed, but personally, I'd think you'd need close to a month with the car to really provide some solid feedback. Then figure another month for implementation, testing and rollout (at a minimum). Doesn't seem likely, so I guess we'll just be doing it live -- I just hope some of the "masses" don't criticize the car too much over them.

... somewhat offtopic, but related: I've asked a couple of times for Tesla to provide a customer-facing bug tracking system, so we can enter bugs into the database directly rather than sending zillions of emails to our CAs. This would make it easier for software engineering to notice duplicates or see trends from customers.

With the level of integration they're going after, Tesla much more of a software company than a typical automobile manufacturer. Our cars really are computers on wheels!

To make this on-topic:

- I hope for, but unfortunately do not expect, an official bug-tracking system/database/website for Model S software and hardware (customer facing).

/Mitch.

The problem with that, I think, is that there are going to be a LOT of people with these cars. Have you ever seen a "bug report" from your average joe? "It doesn't work". "I can't login". "What's wrong with it?". Ugh.

 

[ckessel]

The problem with that, I think, is that there are going to be a LOT of people with these cars. Have you ever seen a "bug report" from your average joe? "It doesn't work". "I can't login". "What's wrong with it?". Ugh.

IntelliJ makes my favorite Java IDE (well, JetBrains is the company) and they have a lot of customers and a public bug database. Now, you're talking engineers filing bugs for other engineers, so the average level of interaction may be elevated (professional-to-professional, versus consumer-to-manufacturer).

Could be worth doing though just for Sig owners or just for people that self-select by requesting such access.

 

[MitchL]

The problem with that, I think, is that there are going to be a LOT of people with these cars. Have you ever seen a "bug report" from your average joe? "It doesn't work". "I can't login". "What's wrong with it?". Ugh.

You're right of course (that's why I don't expect it). Heck, I must remind myself that even the bug reports from some real software people have very low signal-to-noise...

I guess what I'm hoping is that Tesla will use the patience and understanding of early adopters to their advantage. We bought in early because we're "believers" and want the company and its products to succeed.

/Mitch.

 

[efusco]

The problem with that, I think, is that there are going to be a LOT of people with these cars. Have you ever seen a "bug report" from your average joe? "It doesn't work". "I can't login". "What's wrong with it?". Ugh.

If it was put together properly, to report a bug you'd go through a series of 'help menus' first that would suggest possible solutions for those who just have questions or can't figure out problems. But there would, after a few screens, be a way to report what one believes to be novel problems. At Tesla's end there would simply need to be one person whom part of their job would be to screen and tally those issues. On a computer and it would then pop up totals so that issue being seen more often would be noticed. Even if it is something as simple as "how do you do it" rather than an actual broken item at least they could send out an email or a message through the car saying "here's how to do "X"".