Real Steering Controls for the Model 3

[sitter_k]

The AP2 obsession is what kept all other improvements on the side line. We should of had improvements to our UI, Browser, Music and the ability to mirror our phones by now. AP2 ruined all of that progress in my opinion. AP is nice and unique right now, but for the money spent on an S, I expect other features that I mentioned above to be improved by now.

I don't know that it's because of AP2, I feel like AP is such a unique technology that it would be a very different dept. but of course the system would have to married into the UI so maybe you're onto something. You're right S/X should have creature comforts (que the poster telling us we don't understand Tesla and telling us to buy a Hyundai if we want stuff other cars have.)

 

[bmzl]

I fear that Tesla has caught the GM disease. Back in the 20th century when GM dominated the American auto market with Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac, it expended an awful lot of effort making sure that the lesser model was never better than the more expensive model. The worst sin and GM was to allow the lesser model to steal profits from the more expensive models. When Elon discovered that the model three was stealing sales from the model Xs and Ss, he came out with his famous announcement that the model three was simply a cheaper and inferior version of the model S. To make good on that, he had to make sure that the model three had nothing that the model S didn't have. Hence, he had to ditch the "spaceship" steering controls he had planned for the model three. We will probably see those new steering controls in the next version of the model S.

 

[Brando]

When Elon discovered that the model three was stealing sales from the model `Xs and Ss, he came out with his famous announcement that the model three was simply a cheaper and inferior version of the model S.

I don't see it that way as there are no Model 3s to sell and a backlog on both Model S/X.
What Elon did say, as I remember, he was reading/hearing people thought Model 3 was going to be a half priced Model S or the "next generation of Tesla electric car" and so he set out to explain the differences.

Many wrote that Model S sales would stop with Model 3 as why would people pay twice the price for the Model S? I have always thought size was/is the main difference, as with most other manufacturers.
Since Teslas are battery powered cars, the biggest battery wins performance for now. Model 3 probably won't have room for a 100 battery, right? 5 or 10 years from now? We shall see. Weight to get power to the ground may ironically mean the heavier car is quicker??

PS- As you can see, I prefer the Model 3 size [but as long as the Saab runs, I can't see bothering to get anything else for my age and stage in life. Just don't drive that much, and never bought new, but maybe a used Model 3 some day? perhaps.

 

[R.S]

Since Teslas are battery powered cars, the biggest battery wins performance for now. Model 3 probably won't have room for a 100 battery, right? 5 or 10 years from now? We shall see. Weight to get power to the ground may ironically mean the heavier car is quicker??

With increased weight the friction coefficient is actually lower. So the lighter car wins always.

 

[JeffK]

Weight to get power to the ground may ironically mean the heavier car is quicker??

With increased weight the friction coefficient is actually lower. So the lighter car wins always.

Well, we should clarify. The lighter car will not always win. It depends.

If the heavier car is heavier because it has significantly more power then it may very well be quicker than the lighter car. To R.S's point, if both cars had the same power then the lighter car would win.

Traction is controlled by the computer.

 

[R.S]

Well, we should clarify. The lighter car will not always win. It depends.

If the heavier car is heavier because it has significantly more power then it may very well be quicker than the lighter car. To R.S's point, if both cars had the same power then the lighter car would win.

Traction is controlled by the computer.

Traction is determined by the friction coefficient. The friction coefficient gives the amount of force that be applied to propel the car, depending on the normal force of the car. The normal force is given by the weight of the car.

So ideally a car that's heavier can put more power to the ground, but it's all heavier so it needs more power. In that case, if you had unlimited power, the car would always accelerate at the same rate, no matter how heavy it is. (and if it's AWD, or the weight distribution stays the same)

Simply said, the friction coefficient gives at how much Gs the car can accelerate, if there are no aerodynamic effects.

But the friction coefficient gets lower, if there is more weight on the tire. So a heavier car can still put more power to the ground, but it needs even more to accelerate. So a heavier car, with the same tires is always slower.

 

[JeffK]

So a heavier car, with the same tires is always slower.

Again, you can't use the word "always" unless you clarify that there's equal power.

Example: P100D is quicker than my Prius even though my Prius is nearly 2000 lbs lighter. (even if I managed to put the same tires on them)

 

[R.S]

Again, you can't use the word "always" unless you clarify that there's equal power.

Example: P100D is quicker than my Prius even though my Prius is nearly 2000 lbs lighter. (even if I managed to put the same tires on them)

I think I mentioned the unlimited power in my original comment. Acceleration, of course, also depends on the power you can use to accelerate. Only after a certain amount of wheel torque, the friction limits acceleration. And of course the higher the speeds, the more power is needed to make the wheels spin.

 

[ikjadoon]

I am not expecting anything big and new at the July 28 event, but the ONE thing that makes me still think there is something left to show is that they have still not posted a single photo of the interior in marketing materials, not a single shot of the interior was taken in the big Motor Trend photo shoot last spring. They have covered the screen and wheel sometimes in the RCs.

If there is no surprise, why have they not shown anything of the interior officially? They showed off the exterior that wasn't even complete. They even showed off the matte black car that had the old door handles in their first marketing video. But they won't officially show off anything from the interior.

Why? Again, I have my expectations low for anything new, but it doesn't make sense at all to not show the interior in any fashion yet.

Also, last fall Elon said there would be a reveal 3 in the spring. Then they changed that to summer, which will be July 28. Why have another "reveal" if we already saw the final exterior and interior? Why not put photos of the interior on the website if it's complete?

One dilemma Tesla has with showing the interior: people will start nitpicking that screen's UI instantly. It's a pretty big paradigm shift (even if we've come to terms with it) and they can't risk the Model 3 press making it out to be a "weirdmobile". Its "X factor" is going to be usability: it needs to be better than an instrument cluster and traditional knobs/buttons.

That is, the screens' redeeming points for the mainstream public are probably from its use and use is hard to "sell" via photos (especially with an unfinished UI).

Just look at the first iPhone in 2009: "Just a giant screen? That's terrible; your hands will block half the screen every time you touch it!" Or "What about people with bigger fingers? Those buttons are so tiny." Or "You can't hide anything because that screen is so massive; people 10 feet away will know exactly what you're typing." Or "No way it'll be smooth; there will be tons of lag because of all the instant info it needs to display." Or "Every time you need to make a call, you'll be rubbing that flat, hard glass against your face. Flip phones are more ergonomically designed for the human head." It sounds silly now, but I remember hearing each one of these after the reveal.

They want a finished, polished UI that clearly shows its superiority to "the past 100 years of automotive design". It might be why they're holding their cards close to their chest.

 

[Big-T]

To kind of get this thread back on topic, did you notice that someone got a shot of what appears to be a production steering wheel. It's got the little horn icon deboss and white arrows next to the rollers. Interestingly the roller markers are set to left and right but not up and down.

I'm still assuming it would go up and down as well (volume for example) - but can you limit a roller ball to just straight up and down and left right? Or would it be more like the bottom of an old school mouse in that case? (goes any direction)

If it went any direction why just have left-right icons?

 

[osu_cowboy_007]

To kind of get this thread back on topic, did you notice that someone got a shot of what appears to be a production steering wheel. It's got the little horn icon deboss and white arrows next to the rollers. Interestingly the roller markers are set to left and right but not up and down.

I'm still assuming it would go up and down as well (volume for example) - but can you limit a roller ball to just straight up and down and left right? Or would it be more like the bottom of an old school mouse in that case? (goes any direction)

If it went any direction why just have left-right icons?

One is for volume and another one is to navigate infotainment system?

 

[Zaphod]

To kind of get this thread back on topic, did you notice that someone got a shot of what appears to be a production steering wheel. It's got the little horn icon deboss and white arrows next to the rollers. Interestingly the roller markers are set to left and right but not up and down.

I'm still assuming it would go up and down as well (volume for example) - but can you limit a roller ball to just straight up and down and left right? Or would it be more like the bottom of an old school mouse in that case? (goes any direction)

If it went any direction why just have left-right icons?

Surely they scroll up and down, but probably assumed that is intuitive enough such that no arrows or markings are needed. I believe arrows for left/right were added as that is not usually typical method of function for scroll wheels on the steering wheels in most cases. Therefore, not as intuitive and what people are use to, so they probably felt they needed to add the arrows for that particular function.

edit: also to add, just noticed the card object is in the center console cup holders again. Revive the rumor about the card being the key?

 

[amb3rgris]

To kind of get this thread back on topic, did you notice that someone got a shot of what appears to be a production steering wheel. It's got the little horn icon deboss and white arrows next to the rollers. Interestingly the roller markers are set to left and right but not up and down.

I'm still assuming it would go up and down as well (volume for example) - but can you limit a roller ball to just straight up and down and left right? Or would it be more like the bottom of an old school mouse in that case? (goes any direction)

If it went any direction why just have left-right icons?

To me it looks like:
scroll wheel in the middle, i.e. up/down
little "half-moon" buttons to the sides of the scroll wheel. I am assuming the left/right arrow images are to indicate that those buttons are intended to shift between menu options/tabs. And then use the scroll wheel to select sub-options for that tab.

I would think for functionality, they would also need to have the scroll wheel be a button as well, so you could actually then select/confirm something.

 

[lunitiks]

Am I missing something, or aren't they obviously just regular scroll wheels with a 'flat' rubbery surface? Something in the lines of this?

 

[Candleflame]

no, there is no need to reinvent the wheel when you are.... inventing a wheel. X_x

 

[zmarty]

Tesla Model 3’s interior is a smart design that will ‘age gracefully’

Here is the money shot:

Musk previously said that the Model 3 would feature “spaceship-like” steering controls, but I was told that the design team had several innovative design ideas for the steering wheel that were later dropped for a more simple design.