New design - With no stalks how do you change directions or signal?

[jboy210]

How about using right scroll wheel for gear selection? scroll up for forward and down for reverse and press left for parking break? that right scroll wheel is with in reach of thumb and it has tactile feedback so we don't have to take our eyes of road.

The issue with the scroll wheels is they are already multifunction controls and require looking to see what mode they are in, which implies what scroll up or down does. You don't want people thinking they are increasing the volume and accidentally put the car in drive.

In my mind, a usability test should be making a 3 point turn on a narrow street with another coming down the street and arriving at your location in 10 seconds or so. Could you do that fast enough, without looking at the controls, to avoid a conflict?

 

[jboy210]

One thought is maybe they can put some sort of toggle switch on the end of the yoke. Push the toggle forward for forward, back for reverse, middle for neutral, and down for park. Airplanes use a similar switch for nose up/down trim. Sometimes they use a switch that requires pressing 2 parts down with your thumb to engage to prevent accidental changes.

 

[slevit1md]

I don’t know why people are getting so upset before anyone has a chance to try it out, or before they’ve released any info on how it actually works. Based on the photos of the steering yoke, it looks like the right and left turn signal buttons might be easier to hit than the current stalk. If you’ve got your hands on the yoke, they’re right next to your thumb. It’s different and will take a few times to get used to, but once you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll likely never think about it again. Similar to how regenerative braking is different at first, but after a short time, you just learn to drive with it naturally.

Additionally, the PRND controls may also be just as easy, or easier to use than the current stalk. The controls will very possibly be available only in the situations when you’d actually be using them (when you’re stopped, or at moving going very slowly). It could work off of the scroll wheel, as others have mentioned, but the scroll wheel would likely only control gears when stopped. Maybe there will be buttons somewhere near the phone chargers, which would really be not much different than how many cars already work. And maybe there will be buttons that pop up on the touchscreen, which would likely be easy to see and change. They’d surely be context sensitive, so would likely make it very quick to change. If the car decides to go in reverse, you really only need drive and park buttons available, and they could be pretty damn huge and obvious if Tesla wants them to be. Before Tesla, I never thought I’d drive a car that doesn’t have a button to turn it on and off, but now I forget to hit the button any time I’m in an ICE vehicle, and don’t know why everyone else doesn’t figure out a better way. Very possible that this will work out the same way, in time.

I think everyone should just calm down for a bit - at least until they release how things are actually going to work and someone who’s actually tried it out can comment on it. Tesla doesn’t always get it right (the rain sensor still sucks), but they get it right more often than not, and it’s not that hard to use your imagination and see how they could probably pull this off.

 

[tomas]

Tesla Model S refresh spotted with 'regular' steering wheel — Electrek

FYI. There ARE PRND buttons on center console. Like a huge % of cars. They are not morons.