The Tesla dashboard design team

[Mihai75]

I'm sorry but as much as I like the exterior, that dashboard is a disaster. Are we back in the 70s now, predicting how modern "stuff" will look in the year 2000? I realize it's still in prototyping stage but I fear the main thing, and only thing, that will change is the gigantic screen will be vertical instead of horizontal. I always thought a 17 inch square screen looks totally out of place in a car, including the Model S and X, and I look at computer screens all day. I don't need to stare at one also in my car and IT staring back at me. I'M HERE, LOOK AT ME!! Because it's a big, square, FLAT glass surface it's impossible to integrate it into anything and just looks ridiculously out of place. Maybe when flexible screens become mainstream, such a huge display surface can be smoothly integrated into a dash. But now....yuk. It's the automobile interior design equivalent of this:
http://img.timeinc.net/time/photoessays/2011/royal_wedding_hats/wedding_hats_01.jpg

At least the Model S and X had other things on the dash to take away the attention from that monstrosity, but if this is going to be the dash (with some small alterations) of the Model 3, it is really, really ugly. Please reconsider Tesla.....take some inspiration from Mercedes for example:

This looks more Tesla than Tesla. Even the screen has a "T" shape and is perfectly integrated into the ensemble and is more than adequate size, for a car screen. A dashboard of a car is not ment to be a copy of my desk. I am not at my desk, and I'm not in a 70s sci-fi set inspired living room either. I'm in a car. I'm going somewhere, I'm traveling, I'm looking at stuff in my surroundings, at the real world. It's one of the main points of driving and traveling, or is this a wrong assumption? I can live without a giant screen while in a car. I see those everywhere already.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Car isn't finished. You've seen a driveable prototype, not the finished production model.

 

[caps04]

Look at Model S and Model X dash when they were first revealed. Now relax.

 

[yesup]

I can live without a giant screen while in a car. I see those everywhere already.

Then sorry, Tesla is not for you. Giant screen is almost one of the signature of Tesla cars.

Car isn't finished. You've seen a driveable prototype, not the finished production model.

The dashboard design may evolve, but the concept of one single big screen in the centre would not change.

 

[Velaar]

I agree that the dash looks incomplete. In the same time it seems that the main idea of one screen will stay. I am not exactly sure how comfortable it will be from the drivers perspective. A head-up display may help to keep the key info for the driver, (Navigation/speed/energy use), but so far we heard nothing about it.

 

[timk225]

Ya rly, man. Lots will change in the next year and a half. Although I do have to ask, why wouldn't they just start with a Model S dash assembly in the first place?

 

[jonnyg]

Also could be part of them wanting to hold their cards close to their chest. Don't want to give competitors everything when the car isn't coming out for a year and a half.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

understood, I am OK with the center console layout (although I would prefer it to be sunken in, right now it looks "tacked on" as an afterthought...). I just feel we're still going to see a cluster behind the steering wheel, in some form.

 

[Johan]

I'm sorry but as much as I like the exterior, that dashboard is a disaster.

Great 9th post! You should e-mail Elon and ask him to replace Franz with you. You seem to know what you're talking about.

 

[timk225]

I definitely want a normally placed instrument cluster, in addition to the larger center screen.

 

[Right_Said_Fred]

Don't worry, things will change. The exterior looks almost done (although it does remind me of the first futuristic Model S, and it will still change a bit), but the interior probably is not there yet. It is so minimalistic, that it looks very much like the interiors of show models you see on car shows. Those interiors can never be found in production cars.

That Mercedes-interior looks terrible by the way. And that Mercedes touch screen it too small.

I guess you don't drive a Tesla (Model S) yet, or you wouldn't be saying that the touch screenin the Model 3 is too big. You have to experience it in the Model S. It's magnificent.

 

[Bunky]

Its a matter of opinion. The Mercedes example you used looks cluttered and dated to me.

 

[Bangor Bob]

Having had a 2nd-gen Prius with the speedo tucked up top and off to the side (and hating that - especially the glare on the windshield it caused at night), and a Scion before with the speedo in the center (and hating it) - Yes, a driver instrument binnacle please.

Fingers crossed for the dash being completely preliminary/unfinished.

 

[Mihai75]

That Mercedes-interior looks terrible by the way. And that Mercedes touch screen it too small.

It doesn't look "perfect" to me but at least it's coherent. What's your example of a good looking dashboard, besides obviously having a giant 17 inch screen in the middle of it?

I guess you don't drive a Tesla (Model S) yet, or you wouldn't be saying that the touch screenin the Model 3 is too big. You have to experience it in the Model S. It's magnificent.

That's just it, when I'm driving a car, I don't care to "experience" a computer screen. I don't get in the car and say to myself: I can't wait to experience that giant computer screen! That's not the motivation for driving and going somewhere in your car. I don't care how interactive it is, or what its color gamut is, or ppi. The thing is it's always in your face. You have a TV in your face. There's no option to have a smaller screen and a real dashboard with real physical buttons. The dashboard is really: giant screen, steering wheel to the left (or right). And that's it.

Great 9th post! You should e-mail Elon and ask him to replace Franz with you. You seem to know what you're talking about.

Thanks! I think I will email this Franzenhozen guy and help him correct a few things...

 

[Todd Burch]

Notice the interior doesn't even have A/C vents. It's mostly a placeholder. It will evolve.

But if you had time behind the wheel of an S you'd recognize that anyone who DOESN'T have a large touchscreen is just behind the times. The large screen is infinitely better.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

My thoughts on the dash cluster:

The Model 3 is getting Autopilot 2.0. Almost a lead-pipe lock of the century....of the week (cartoon reference, still a little punchy after getting up so early tor reserve and somehow staying up late...)

TSLA is going to do something completely new with a refreshed UI and Autopilot 2.0 integration. Maybe they didn't want to spoil it, so we got the spartan prototype dash last night.

 

[SageBrush]

First things first, let's get rid of the retro steering wheel. It looks so out of place

 

[zerokewl]

The interior will for sure change as it gets closer to launch. Besides the missing air vents that were brought up it also doesn't have a speedometer that i could see. The main reason for the reveal is so people can see the basic outer design of the car. The fact that they drive at all is pretty amazing to me. Usually a prototype doesn't even have a motor or real suspension. Some prototypes don't have any interior at all. I'm just glad i got my reservation as early as i could.

 

[Quant]

Ok ! Please go make your own EV with equivalent specs and price , will you ?

Oh, sorry, you can't make anything? Can you ? Maybe we'll get to see your Dummy car ? Soon ?

 

[manitou820]

A cockpit like interior is preferred for a true sports car, but in the case of the Model 3, I think simplicity is better. I currently commute in an i3 which has a pretty minimalist interior and now that I've driven the car for a year I love it. Way less distracting and easier to use. I'm sure it will change between now and production, but I expect that Tesla will keep the minimalist design.