Tesla Hired Volvo's Head Of Interior Engineering To Fix Its Interiors

[slipnslider]

Just saw this article on Jalopnik:

http://jalopnik.com/tesla-hired-volvos-head-of-interior-engineering-to-fix-1790315839

Tesla Hired Volvo's Head Of Interior Engineering To Fix Its Interiors

"Since Tesla’s interior quality is something that people complain about the most, it’s good that the carmaker is listening and doing something to fix the problem."

Music to my ears. I doubt he got there in time to save the Model 3 interior and convince those tech nerds that touch screens are not the best at everything, but hopefully he can get some basic knobs and buttons for drivers in the future. And fix the issues with rattles and squeaks that people frequently complain about.

Reading the comments section below the article, it's nice to see I'm not alone in my critique of tesla's touchscreen obsession.

 

[svp6]

Having had cars from various luxury manufacturers (Audi, Merc, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus) I agree that the interior can be further refined. However, I must say that the touch screen interface is the best interior feature of my Model S. Whenever I drive my wife's car I find it - how should I put it - antique? In my opinion, improvements must be in quality of the materials and some fine design touches rather than a return to knobs. Would love something along the new Porsche Panamera interiors.

 

[Petra]

Reading the comments section below the article, it's nice to see I'm not alone in my critique of tesla's touchscreen obsession.

Considering there are two steering wheel mounted scroll wheels with center buttons that control audio, auto HVAC temp, manual blower speed, toggle information displays in the instrument cluster, etc., combined with voice commands, you rarely ever need to interact with the screen while driving. Moreover, Tesla tends toward the 1x1" min. rule for basic touch interface elements, so anything you’re likely to interact with is pretty easy to identify either at a glance or through positional memory and easy to accurately tap.

Most of the arguments in the comments sound like people who are afraid of change and haven’t had the opportunity to really learn what the interface is like to live with. Myself, after having lived with it for a year, I never want to go back—everything else looks and feels old, clunky, and more of a distraction in some ways.

From a materials and design standpoint, I really like Tesla's minimalist interiors but I'll admit that there are some materials that could be improved. Fitment and rattles should also be improved, but that doesn't require an exec from Volvo to fix.

 

[Snerruc]

I have a plain jane interior in my car, and am quite satisfied with it. Assembly quality is first rate, and I prefer the minimalist approach to the interior. I've owned Volvos and they have first rate interiors. They also were the worst cars for reliability I've owned. Tesla doesn't need that from a Volvo hire. If they let him mess with the touch screen, they will ruin one of the best things about the car. LEAVE IT ALONE !

 

[RobStark]

NO! NO! NO! to more buttons,knobs, and toggles.

Yes to better fit and finish.
Yes to better quality materials.
Yes to coat hooks,grab handles, and sunglasses holder.

And the basic amenities available in a Honda Accord LX or Toyota Camry LE.

 

[slipnslider]

I would say the basic ammenities in an accord INCLUDE a volume knob and temperature knob.

Furthermore, screens are not always a good thing. Hell, being in a car used to be one of the few places I didn't have to have one in my face. And tesla screens can't even be shut off without tricking it into screen cleaning mode.

5 Things Too Much Screen Time Does To Your Body
5 Things Too Much Screen Time Does To Your Body

 

[Merrill]

Do not want more knobs and buttons, love the car the way it is. Like that it is clean and uncluttered, maybe clean up the area at the bottom of the 3 row seats and use better carpet material. Otherwise do not mess with it.

 

[RobStark]

I would say the basic ammenities in an accord INCLUDE a volume knob and temperature knob.

Like the ICE, volume and temperature knob is a 20th Century thing.

 

[trils0n]

I would say the basic ammenities in an accord INCLUDE a volume knob and temperature knob.

Tesla has those. They are on the steering wheel. Work great.

 

[William13]

@slipnslider, I checked out your 5 things reference. I have owned my Tesla S for over four years. Knobs are sooooo twentieth century. Your article has no applicability to a screen experience in a Tesla S.

The interior could be improved but not with knobs. Entry and exit are difficult, ceiling handles are needed, lighted visors, coat hooks, avoidance of wear points (B-pillar), and drink holders are the low hanging fruits.

 

[slipnslider]

@slipnslider, I checked out your 5 things reference. I have owned my Tesla S for over four years. Knobs are sooooo twentieth century. Your article has no applicability to a screen experience in a Tesla S.

The interior could be improved but not with knobs. Entry and exit are difficult, ceiling handles are needed, lighted visors, coat hooks, avoidance of wear points (B-pillar), and drink holders are the low hanging fruits.

Yes knobs are 20th century technology. And wheels are negative 30th century technology. But they didn't abandon them in favor of something less efficient or user friendly. Some things dont need to be changed. And changing things for the sake of making them new isn't improvement.

The more technology you cram into a machine the more things can go wrong. These teslas are all awesome driving off the lot, but will their technology still be working in 30 years like a 1986 honda civic will? The owner of a civic might need to repair his air conditioner, but the switch to turn it on and off will still work without finding a programmer to write new code for it.

 

[slipnslider]

Tesla has those. They are on the steering wheel. Work great.

Stereo knob should be on the stereo unit. Just like the window and locks should be on the door. Sunroof switch should be on the roof. Seat heater and position adjustments should be on the seat. And I shouldn't have a giant tv in my car that can never be turned off.

 

[Petra]

Stereo knob should be on the stereo unit.

Completely disagree for a couple reasons: 1) From a UI design standpoint, never encourage a driver to take their hands off the wheel and 2) adjustments can be made more precisely from steering wheels controls than they can from a poorly braced hand turning a distant knob.

locks should be on the door...Sunroof switch should be on the roof...Seat heater and position adjustments should be on the seat.

You must really hate the Germans...

 

[22522]

Volvo materials were good, but the seats were over stuffed. It felt like a living room, not a car. Please do not make the model 3 schizophrenic. Quality, yes. Soft, no.

 

[slipnslider]

Completely disagree for a couple reasons: 1) From a UI design standpoint, never encourage a driver to take their hands off the wheel and 2) adjustments can be made more precisely from steering wheels controls than they can from a poorly braced hand turning a distant knob.

I've been driving for 24 years and have never been endangered by adjusting the stereo. Furthermore I don't think anyone drives with both hands on the wheel like it's drivers ed class. Plus if the wheel isn't straight, then adjusting the stereo from a steering wheel control becomes disorienting. It's better to have your hand off the wheel to adjust a knob which you can find without looking at it than to take your EYES off the road to look at your touchscreen options.

 

[jelloslug]

If your steering wheel is upside down, changing the volume is the last thing you should be doing. If you want knobs and buttons, go buy a Porsche, they are littered with buttons and knobs.

 

[JPP]

Considering there are two steering wheel mounted scroll wheels with center buttons that control audio, auto HVAC temp, manual blower speed, toggle information displays in the instrument cluster, etc., combined with voice commands, you rarely ever need to interact with the screen while driving. Moreover, Tesla tends toward the 1x1" min. rule for basic touch interface elements, so anything you’re likely to interact with is pretty easy to identify either at a glance or through positional memory and easy to accurately tap.

...about that positional memory thing...with firmware 8.0, Tesla killed it with the clever drop down/pop up control bar. A major step backwards IMHO...

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Frankly, I don't know what the happened to Tesla with Model X. I mean, Model S interior is perfectly allright. Not German premium, and sure it has been missing some conveniences, but still already in 2014 it was perfectly allright (after some misses in 2013 had been fixed). It continues to be.

But then you have the Model X that still today seems to lack so many rudimentary things and had so many questionable quality choices that it baffles the mind. These were understandable in 2012-2013. Not so much in late 2016.

The issues Tesla has in delivering a simple cover system (let alone any basic netting/rollups that your average low-end wagon has in Germany) in Model X is just silly. They don't have the floor covered yet in the five-seater and none of them have a top cover for the trunk. And there is no talk of any adjustable covers for folded seating, cargo netting "walls", ski doors etc... basic stuff for German wagons/SUVs. No center armrests for 5, 6 or 7 seaters in the back, no folding in the 5 and 6 seaters in second row etc etc...

And let's not even get started with the Tesla sunscreens for the sunroofs... Safe to say, Teslas are missing a lot of interior conveniences, even without going into anything high-techy like front and back seat massages or passenger entertainment integration etc... Tesla is missing a lot of really basic stuff.

So, this latest move sounds very welcome to me.

 

[dmode]

My previous car was an X5 M sport. I also recently rented a brand new Volvo station wagon when I was in Europe last month. I vastly prefer Tesla's interior over those two cars. Keep it minimalist and focus on keeping the UI improved. Don't need the see ugly buttons and knobs.

 

[Merrill]

My previous car was an X5 M sport. I also recently rented a brand new Volvo station wagon when I was in Europe last month. I vastly prefer Tesla's interior over those two cars. Keep it minimalist and focus on keeping the UI improved. Don't need the see ugly buttons and knobs.

Me too, I think most of the so called luxury cars have way to much stuff going on in the cockpit. Like the clean uncluttered interior of the Tesla's, some say it is not up to the other cars in its price range. To that I would say buy those cars instead of the Tesla.