HVAC UI design sucks

[scottm]

Jason covers it quite well over at Jalopnik

http://jalopnik.com/this-first-look-at-the-tesla-model-3s-dash-controls-is-1797857601

Yes the car is barely born.. and I bet this HVAC UI was a proto just to get the stuff working in the car.. And somebody said, "works well enough, leave it". It's an unfinished concept. Stub of a thing. Yes, it makes air flow with user inputs. But ...

I hope Tesla does a major improve on this before I get my 3.

 

[chronopc]

Jason covers it quite well over at Jalopnik

http://jalopnik.com/this-first-look-at-the-tesla-model-3s-dash-controls-is-1797857601

Yes the car is barely born.. and I bet this HVAC UI was a proto just to get the stuff working in the car.. And somebody said, "works well enough, leave it". It's an unfinished concept. Stub of a thing. Yes, it makes air flow with user inputs. But ...

I hope Tesla does a major improve on this before I get my 3.

I think I'll reserve judgment until after I've tested it for myself. I read that article and they wrote it based on a 10 second video they watch. Great journalism.

 

[TQCLove]

Jalopnik has a pretty strong and steady anti-Tesla biased in my opinion. I know it's not all of their authors/posters, and others are quite positive, but most seem to find anything they can and nitpick it to death. Besides, a UI can be changed by software, perhaps not a "quick fix" but one that is possible. Who knows, perhaps in time we'll be customizing things within the UI much like we do now with our cellphones.

Edited to add "in my opinion" to opening sentence.

 

[chronopc]

I find it interesting that people care this much about the AC vents. Honestly, how many times have you adjusted it while you're driving? In my car I haven't touched it for years.

Since I can adjust the climate control from the app for the Model 3, I don't think I'll ever change it after the first time. I will just make sure my car is the perfect temperature before I even step in it.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Yeah, I'll reserve judgement for when I use it.

Most of the conventional vents I use have the flap in the middle so that when you are adjusting, you block the wind (at least partially). So I kind of adjust it, see if it blows correctly, and then adjust it again if not. So one advantage of this design is there is nothing blocking the wind when adjusting.

The other difference is you adjust it largely based on where you want the wind to go instead of indirectly with the flaps. You get a much larger range of motion so it may be more accurate without having to fiddle with it. Also it may be easier to set it exactly to where you want it to blow at an instant (just tap at the general area, instead of having to use flaps and feedback from the wind to see where it is going).

 

[WileyTheMan]

I'm in the "wait and see" camp. But honestly, the great thing about software is it can be updated and revised. I'm not worried about it.

 

[jsrawa]

I think this is a non-issue, we have too much time on our hands while we wait.

 

[JeffK]

I think it looks cool as heck and during the test rides I didn't hear anything said that was negative.

 

[Zythryn]

Jason covers it quite well over at Jalopnik

http://jalopnik.com/this-first-look-at-the-tesla-model-3s-dash-controls-is-1797857601

Yes the car is barely born.. and I bet this HVAC UI was a proto just to get the stuff working in the car.. And somebody said, "works well enough, leave it". It's an unfinished concept. Stub of a thing. Yes, it makes air flow with user inputs. But ...

I hope Tesla does a major improve on this before I get my 3.

Like others, before condemning something I know almost nothing about, I'll wait until I can actually try it.

 

[commasign]

Yeah, the HVAC controls are so bad everyone should please cancel their reservations immediately.

On a serious note, I think it's genius especially if it's a setting saved to the driver profile. But I'm OCD when it comes to aiming the vents right at my hands for some reason.

 

[Craig9080]

I think we will find many people polarized by the touch screen. While driving, a tactile experience helps you keep your eyes on the road and your focus where it needs to be. When not driving, touchscreens allow us to generate Human to Machine interfaces that can do almost anything. With the Model 3 supposed to be the next step towards autonomous driving, I see why they went with the touchscreen, but I can also see why a car blog would hate it. It is worth while to remember that the best ICE car smart-tech UIs typically use a joystick or dial somewhere near the drivers natural hand positioning.

 

[AceSkywalker]

Jalopnik is a website oriented towards the ICE fanboy crowd - the kind that crashes their Mustangs and burns gasoline like no tomorrow, the kind that the planet would benefit the most from being forced to use autonomous electric vehicles. They can cry on their forums about how "soulless" autonomous electric vehicles are while the world ignores their obsession about car culture that belongs in the 1950s. Not to mention that its part of the shitty former Gawker network.

Cry about the HVAC controls? That's low hanging fruit. Good on the car if that's all people can complain about. Here's the solution.

Use the app to precondition the car. Tesla should screen the customers to make sure they have a smartphone. Make a critical step of the ordering process only done through the Tesla app. No smartphone that can run the app, no Model 3 for you. No complaints about heat/cold.

Why would you keep adjusting the flow of air. Set it once and done. Maybe they can add a feature using the camera that automatically scans for the user's face and blow the air at them. Besides, blowing hot/cold air directly into your face is terrible for your health.

 

[Az_Rael]

Honestly, how many times have you adjusted it while you're driving

I would guess I adjust them twice everytime I drive. In the summer: once when I get in the car to direct the air at me, then later away from me after the car has cooled off so that I don't dry out my eyes or have cold hands. Opposite in the winter: first away from me while the system warms up, then at me once it's warm.

Edit: and I do this even in my Teslas. Pre conditioning is hit or miss for me due to poor cell reception at work.

 

[PRSIST]

I think I'll reserve judgment until after I've tested it for myself. I read that article and they wrote it based on a 10 second video they watch. Great journalism.

The only video that I've seen of the controls being played with is by the PASSENGER!!!! How the hell is the driver supposed to drive the car and control dash vents. For what it's worth, the vents in my car haven't been moved since....forever! The only one that I might change is the one on the driver's left and I can do that very quickly and easily with my left hand. Should be interesting to see what it will take to do the same thing using the new UI.

 

[chronopc]

I would guess I adjust them twice everytime I drive. In the summer: once when I get in the car to direct the air at me, then later away from me after the car has cooled off so that I don't dry out my eyes or have cold hands. Opposite in the winter: first away from me while the system warms up, then at me once it's warm.

Edit: and I do this even in my Teslas. Pre conditioning is hit or miss for me due to poor cell reception at work.

And you have to adjust it while the car is moving?

I can see it potentially being an issue for some people, but what I especially don't like about the article is that he's basing his opinion completely on a video he watched.

 

[commasign]

Pure speculation:

Once Tesla activates the interior camera you can wave your hand to adjust the vent settings. I.e. Gesture controls. Hmmm....

 

[Rogue one]

I'll reserve judgement until my test drive. It may be a solution looking for a problem or it might be what I have always wanted bt never knew existed... I hate to keep comparing like this but people had the same problems with the iPhone at first. I mean who in their right mind would ditch a physical keyboard for a digital one right?!?!

 

[Alketi]

Yes the car is barely born.. and I bet this HVAC UI was a proto just to get the stuff working in the car.. And somebody said, "works well enough, leave it". It's an unfinished concept. Stub of a thing. Yes, it makes air flow with user inputs. But ...

I hope Tesla does a major improve on this before I get my 3.

Scott, I'm curious if you know (or can imagine) why Tesla made the decision to control the vents through the touchscreen?

 

[omgwtfbyobbq]

I think Jalopnik has it backwards. As a driver, I haven't noticed a difference in accessing physical buttons and a touchscreen, and... being able to adjust the vent position/flow without moving is really nice. Any vent that's outside of arm's reach can require an extra adjustment or two. If I don't move, adjusting the vents is set it and forget it, at least for that drive.

Having said that, a touchscreen is annoying for me as a passenger because I can't keep my hands/fingers centered in the same way I can when I'm driving. In that situation, I prefer physical buttons/dials/etc.

 

[chronopc]

I'll reserve judgement until my test drive. It may be a solution looking for a problem or it might be what I have always wanted bt never knew existed... I hate to keep comparing like this but people had the same problems with the iPhone at first. I mean who in their right mind would ditch a physical keyboard for a digital one right?!?!

Let's go back to riding horses. Horses are far superior to cars.