Terrible placement for headlight status indicators

[BertL]

Ok, I can see that point now.... come to think of it, I have never done a Tesla S test drive during the evening or night time. I just hope the headlights are a good as the active HID's in my Volvo XC60. The Volvo HID's are really bright and auto leveling and turn radius bending. I know the S does not have auto leveling or bending headlamps.

Last night I had to take my BMW 328i loaner back to the SC to pick up my MS. It was dark and raining... Not good conditions and I found I kept wondering if my headlights were even on with the BMW... Checking the dash, checking the car in front and looking for reflections in the rain for most of the way. I did not feel safe at all, likely because I am spoiled by the LED headlights in my former Lexus SUV that "could see through most anything". I believe the issue was the BMW had standard non-HID variety headlights (HID were an upgrade in my former 3-Series)... My MS fortunately was not an issue driving home last night... MS headlights did a great job in that same nasty weather, although I still miss the former LEDs, but that was one of the trade-offs I acknowledged before I ordered my Tesla.

 

[ArtInCT]

Last night I had to take my BMW 328i loaner back to the SC to pick up my MS. It was dark and raining... Not good conditions and I found I kept wondering if my headlights were even on with the BMW... Checking the dash, checking the car in front and looking for reflections in the rain for most of the way. I did not feel safe at all, likely because I am spoiled by the LED headlights in my former Lexus SUV that "could see through most anything". I believe the issue was the BMW had standard non-HID variety headlights (HID were an upgrade in my former 3-Series)... My MS fortunately was not an issue driving home last night... MS headlights did a great job in that same nasty weather, although I still miss the former LEDs, but that was one of the trade-offs I acknowledged before I ordered my Tesla.

Ok thanks BertL for the info on the headlamps. That is encouraging to hear. Best, ARTinCT

 

[HankLloydRight]

I think this image below supports the likely theory that the new IC UI was designed on a desktop computer screen by someone who has never driven the car, or had a steering wheel in front of them, or is of different heights. Clearly, telling you what care you have "Model S // 60 " is more important that if your headlights and/or highbeams are on.

FAIL.

 

[Max*]

I think this image below supports the likely theory that the new IC UI was designed on a desktop computer screen by someone who has never driven the car, or had a steering wheel in front of them, or is of different heights. Clearly, telling you what care you have "Model S // 60 " is more important that if your headlights and/or highbeams are on.

FAIL.

To be fair the "Model S 60" goes away when you're driving, so it's not really a fair statement.

 

[BoldSharpe]

I think most people are in agreement some minor tweaks to the UI would be very beneficial. Elon has said 7.1 will include several changes so, hopefully, the location of the light / high-beam indicators is one of the items covered.

I am a bit puzzled by all this. Are the Model S high beams somewhat weak so that you actually need an indicator to tell you they are on? For the 46 (yards) YEARS I have driven vehicles, my eyes pretty much inform me if my high beams are on.... Unless a dense fog is present. What am I not understanding??

Ok, I can see that point now.... come to think of it, I have never done a Tesla S test drive during the evening or night time. I just hope the headlights are a good as the active HID's in my Volvo XC60. The Volvo HID's are really bright and auto leveling and turn radius bending. I know the S does not have auto leveling or bending headlamps.

At least on my car, there is little difference between the regular headlights and the high-beams. The standard headlights are VERY bright to the point where I get someone flashing their brights at me almost on a daily basis. I actually went to the SC to confirm they were aligned properly and, allegedly, they are. I'll get around to doing some measurement comparisons eventually (or so I keep telling myself).

 

[BertL]

IMHO we discussed some of this UI positioning when 7.0 first hit the streets in the primary 7.0 thread, as a number of us have issues with comfortable seat & steering wheel positions that then block a significant amount of the upper part of the IC as well as both upper corners. With 7.0 and Autopilot, that means for me, I can't see 75% of even the speed digits I'm traveling at, let alone the Autopilot indicators or ANY of the emergency/indicator icons across the top of the IC without acting like a goose to move my head to see under the wheel. I don't think it's important here to get hung up on Tech Pkg/AutoPilot/or-not, but rather, that the most important indicators to safely drive a Tesla need to be in the prime space most drivers can always see. As it is, IMHO, it's not.

I agree with HankLloydWright that the Tesla developers are likely using workstations with simulated ICs that don't have indicators where the increasingly hidden areas are for some drivers. The IC is large, which is great, but I can't believe it's 100% visible to all drivers as the present UI would seem to suggest. THAT needs to be a prime consideration in Tesla's UI design, and seems to have been deprioritized with 7.0.

As it is, I have recently moved my steering wheel much higher than I prefer. It's not optimum comfort-wise, and will be a big problem on longer drives. Trading off my comfort for safety, I can now see enough of the IC and the speed I'm traveling at to know what it is, along with the two Autopilot icons on either side. Even so, none of the indicator icons across the top of the screen are visible without doing occasional neck exercises to see what may be hidden, meaning I will likely miss an emergency indicator if there is no corresponding beep or message at the bottom center of the display.

To me, Tesla can resolve a great deal of this by moving up the whole Autopilot graphic for those that have it, and moving speed down underneath that graphic with the most imperative indicators to the left and right. Squeeze a little space from behind my toy MS to help the situation. I'd rather forego some of the detail in the far distance ahead of me and let that be hidden by the steering wheel if I had to. Keep emergency messages at the very bottom center below everything as they are, and move up things like temp and even the gear we're in if need be -- which don't need to be as obvious or that change (as often) while driving. If part of the left and right optional apps (including Nav on the left) needs to be scaled down to fit the emergency icons and key indicators, so be it... I'd rather have to seek out the corner detail of the Nav and Trip apps upon occasion behind the wheel, than the basics I need to safely drive my Tesla like I'm living with now.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I agree that those indicators are too far off to the left. They should be clustered closer to the center as they are in most other vehicles. I don't know why Tesla keeps trying to reinvent the wheel. Use what works in other cars. Done!