The Tesla dashboard design team

[SageBrush]

From the Tesla drivers comments it sounds like a very conscious design decision they plan to carry through to production. To me the subtext says get used to the diminished driver role and adjust to a future where the car will be driving itself most of the time not needing you thumbs on a wheel hovering ergonomically with in reach of volume rockers and call answer buttons, nor eyes focused foward at an instrument panel. The Model 3 feels very much analogous to the the luxurious first class passenger lounge to prepare you before you board your cabin with a bed and shower.

This, and some cost cutting. EM and Tesla are wizards, but there are also more banal reasons why Tesla can offer double the battery for the same cost as other automakers and it is not just the Gigafactory.

Some of it is just good old fashioned trade-offs, and a willingness to jump to sometimes uncomfortable new technology.

 

[Atlantis]

It's simple, in the future, all cars will have an interior that will look some thing like this. Autonomous systems will drastically reduce the need to be seeing the road right over the steering wheel. Even the steering wheel will only be used in exceptional occasions, so it may be hidden and retracted (like the Nissan concept car), no need for costly dashboards which killed the symmetric of car's interior. So the central horizontal monitor is very well placed to give informations or other services, and even for people in front and rear seats to assist of a video (news, tv emissions, movie) at the same time the car will drive you from a point to another.
But for the present time, I hope furiously that Tesla will put a HUD for very simple informations right above the steering wheel.
For example, for the basic version, some few things will be sufficient like speed, range, battery gauge, autopilot on/off alert and maybe some other warnings. In the high end version, this HUD would be bigger with more informations like navigation pointers, night vision and maybe right, left and rear video streaming from cameras (when the side mirrors will ceased to be mandate).

 

[LobosPac]

From the Tesla drivers comments it sounds like a very conscious design decision they plan to carry through to production. To me the subtext says get used to the diminished driver role and adjust to a future where the car will be driving itself most of the time not needing you thumbs on a wheel hovering ergonomically with in reach of volume rockers and call answer buttons, nor eyes focused foward at an instrument panel. The Model 3 feels very much analogous to the the luxurious first class passenger lounge to prepare you before you board your cabin with a bed and shower.

I totally agree with @Devanish . This is a paradigm shift (yes, I'm showing my age) for cars and driving. I've liked cars for 40+ years, but my MX is the first car I've loved - and its because of the technology, especially AP. (and that large display!). I love to drive, and love to drive long distances (well, if I'm honest, I love to travel). I come from a family where 14 hours to one spring training game, then turning right around and going home is normal behavior. But if the car can do 90+% of the driving, I'm all over it.

 

[AUSinator]

My fingers are crossed; I think the i3 interior is brilliant.

agree the i3 uses high quality materials and the beach would looks beautiful I hope the tesla will have at least options for the dash

 

[edmeades]

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?

There isn't enough room for it after they pushed the front seats forward for rear legroom.

Right now, it's the only major design element that I don't love; I'd like to have autopilot info in my eyeline.

 

[JayyyDeee]

What happens if something gets in your right eye? Ever have a contact lens issue and are unable to open an eye or have extreme blurring in 1 eye? Also try having to always glance down and to the right during a heavy rainstorm its not that easy. Having a speedometer behind the steering wheel lets you focus on the road and see your speed at the same time. The speed being displayed only on the center dash is a terrible idea.

ahh one more point what about people with fake glass eye?

 

[infeza]

I think this design is fantastic. I love it. Simple to the point, no clutter, although some hard buttons that are needed (hazard light and the other one) by law will be added. hopefully a new steering wheel too.

It's probably been mentioned in this thread but this would also save them a lot of time and cost in making left and right hand configurations as there are less parts to swap around.

Why do we need more than one screen anyway? The position of the speedometer takes me no longer than me looking at my current speedometer, all the other information I don't need directly infront of me either.

 

[Lerxt]

What happens if something gets in your right eye? Ever have a contact lens issue and are unable to open an eye or have extreme blurring in 1 eye? Also try having to always glance down and to the right during a heavy rainstorm its not that easy. Having a speedometer behind the steering wheel lets you focus on the road and see your speed at the same time. The speed being displayed only on the center dash is a terrible idea.

ahh one more point what about people with fake glass eye?

Is it still April 1st....?

 

[Johann Koeber]

I like the dash design.

My prediction is that there will be buttons (and wheels) on the steering wheel. If not, then I would really miss them (coming from the MS).

About three years ago I asked Elon about a HUD. I had the impression, he does not like the idea. Hope he has changed his mind since then. Even high performance aircraft use it.

What about the time in the future, when rear view mirrors will be replaced with cameras? The image has to be somewhere you can see it at a glance. Same goes for the blind spot detection.

The missing dash creates an opportunity to optimise air flow in the cabin. This is a big plus, if you can heat and cool the cabin without a draft.

To sum it up: I like the design, give us buttons on the steering wheel and a HUD and your done.

 

[calisnow]

The missing screen in front of the driver is a design flaw IMHO - built under the extreme pressure to try to hit a $35K price point. Not hating on the 3 - I ordered two of them.

But I also have a Model S with autopilot - and there is a *lot* of scanning you must do with your eyes even when using autopilot. Having to constantly look to the right would get old fast. I realize the system will be more advanced 24 months from now but there is simply no way to put a positive spin on not having display information in front of the driver.

There is no airplane built with the PFD (primary flight display) off to the right because it simply doesn't make sense.

I predict some kind of limited display will end up in front of the driver in the final product - it may be minimal but at least something showing basic autopilot controls and speed information will be there - maybe a HUD bouncing off the windshield like in some BMW's and other cars.

 

[Jdcorbitt3]

The missing screen in front of the driver is a design flaw IMHO - built under the extreme pressure to try to hit a $35K price point. Not hating on the 3 - I ordered two of them.

But I also have a Model S with autopilot - and there is a *lot* of scanning you must do with your eyes even when using autopilot. Having to constantly look to the right would get old fast. I realize the system will be more advanced 24 months from now but there is simply no way to put a positive spin on not having display information in front of the driver.

There is no airplane built with the PFD (primary flight display) off to the right because it simply doesn't make sense.

I predict some kind of limited display will end up in front of the driver in the final product - it may be minimal but at least something showing basic autopilot controls and speed information will be there - maybe a HUD bouncing off the windshield like in some BMW's and other cars.

I do remember the transition from "steam gauges" where they had one MFD (multi function display) in the center of the panel. Then they went to 5 tube EFIS. Now, large cabin corporate aircraft are coming with 4 13" or larger displays. HUD is getting more affordable and smaller cabin aircraft are getting them. The GV HUD originally was $500,000 with the option for EVS(enhanced Vision System) for another $500,000. There are now companies making EVS, not as full featured, for in the $20,000 range.

I have no problem with the "PFD" of centered as automobiles are VFR, like a helicopter. Having a HUD for the model 3 will be great. With the Tesla becoming mainstream the SEMA market will get more active. It would not surprise me to see an aftermarket HUD designed for the Model 3.

John

 

[wdolson]

The interior will evolve. Someday cars will be very minimalist in instrumentation, but that isn't going to even be legal until a couple of generations by multiple different manufacturers demonstrate problem free self driving. Until then, the car needs to always be capable of a driver taking control at any time.

Autonomous driving will likely be phased in with it being allowed in some areas like on highways and illegal in other areas like residential neighborhoods. Eventually it will become legal everywhere, then it will slowly become mandatory in some areas and the end result will be "off leash" areas where people can turn off their auto pilot and drive like they did last century, but that's going to be a while. The software to make it happen might be there in 10-15 years at the current pace at least in top tech cars like Teslas, but there will be cars that lag behind like Chrysler. And the laws will be even slower to change.

The law tends to be way behind technology. Some laws today are outdated for tech we had 10-15 years ago.

The interior of the Model 3 looks more like a set than a real car interior. It looks like the front seats were borrowed from a Model X, the screen looks like a computer monitor just mounted on the dash at the last minute and the rest looks like those fake appliances you see in furniture showrooms. What I think happened was the deadline was looming and the mandate was to have a driveable prototype by March 31, so the design team cobbled together something so it didn't look like a lab experiment and they met the deadline. The production car will certainly have something with about the same level of functionality and controls as the Model S and X.

As someone pointed out the dashboard has no vents. There is no place for the dash mounted passenger airbag either. I believe there is still a law requiring all new cars have a glove box with a manual button to open the lid. I'm sure there are laws for the minimum instrumentation too. And if the US doesn't have a law requiring this or that, some other country probably does.

 

[Spidy]

The interior of the Model 3 looks more like a set than a real car interior. It looks like the front seats were borrowed from a Model X, the screen looks like a computer monitor just mounted on the dash at the last minute and the rest looks like those fake appliances you see in furniture showrooms. What I think happened was the deadline was looming and the mandate was to have a driveable prototype by March 31, so the design team cobbled together something so it didn't look like a lab experiment and they met the deadline. The production car will certainly have something with about the same level of functionality and controls as the Model S and X.

As someone pointed out the dashboard has no vents. There is no place for the dash mounted passenger airbag either. I believe there is still a law requiring all new cars have a glove box with a manual button to open the lid. I'm sure there are laws for the minimum instrumentation too. And if the US doesn't have a law requiring this or that, some other country probably does.

Listen to what the drivers say in the videos. They certainly sound like there was an idea behind mounting the display like this (usable by driver & passenger, information in the view of the driver, stating no 2nd display will come, dash can move forward resulting in more space)

And the dashboard has vents. It's one small long opening along the whole width of the car. Again something it sounded like they intentionally designed it like that.

 

[Johan]

What happens if something gets in your right eye? Ever have a contact lens issue and are unable to open an eye or have extreme blurring in 1 eye? Also try having to always glance down and to the right during a heavy rainstorm its not that easy. Having a speedometer behind the steering wheel lets you focus on the road and see your speed at the same time. The speed being displayed only on the center dash is a terrible idea.

ahh one more point what about people with fake glass eye?

Don't forget the blind drivers, who routinely rely on physical knobs and buttons. They won't be able to drive m3 at all!

 

[davidc18]

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.

Actually it speed is on the upper left corner of the screen. The tesla rep driving the car in the posted videos points to it a few times.

 

[Jdcorbitt3]

It used to be we had a bunch of lights, buttons and switches.

 

[ecarfan]

It's simple, in the future, all cars will have an interior that will look some thing like this. Autonomous systems will drastically reduce the need to be seeing the road right over the steering wheel. Even the steering wheel will only be used in exceptional occasions, so it may be hidden and retracted (like the Nissan concept car), no need for costly dashboards which killed the symmetric of car's interior. So the central horizontal monitor is very well placed to give informations or other services, and even for people in front and rear seats to assist of a video (news, tv emissions, movie) at the same time the car will drive you from a point to another.
But for the present time, I hope furiously that Tesla will put a HUD for very simple informations right above the steering wheel.

I agree with you except for the need for a HUD, which I do not believe Tesla will put in the 3 and do not believe is needed. I have an S and have reserved a 3, so I am very used to the S display, but I do not foresee any problems adapting to the 3 display.

With the 3 dash we are seeing how all cars will be built someday. Projecting out a few years, the increasing capabilities of Autopilot will mean that drivers will spend less time checking the onboard speed display as the car will know the legal limit and provide an audible indication when you exceed the limit by an amount that you have pre-set (AP does that already). Nav instructions can already be provided audibly.

The most close up photo I have seen so far of the 3 display shows a speed indicator value in the upper left corner. I assume a range indicator is also there. The display appears to be split vertically, not horizontally like the S.

So the main difference is that to check your speed you move your eyes slightly to the right and down instead of slightly down. I don't have an issue with that. We have all become accustomed to looking slightly down. Changing that to looking slightly right and down doesn't seem like a big deal. And with AP watching my speed all the time, it becomes even less of an issue.

 

[ModelNforNerd]

The Model 3 will have some sort of cluster.

two reasons:

1. Only the safety features of AutoPilot (AEB and TACC) will be standard, so we will still be driving these cars ourselves, even if we pay to have AP 2.0 enabled.

2. Some things are still mandated. High-beam indicator, speedometer, turn indicators. On the finished product, I still expect a small screen of some sort. They fought DOT and IIHS about mirrors, and yet....we still see side mirrors. So unless the laws change, there still has to be something there.


We'll see during Part 2 of the launch.

 

[oalvarez]

I care more about not having some functions displayed right above the wheel than the awkward floating display off to the right. It's my opinion that some functions/features need to be seen easily as opposed to having to look off to the side for them. I've driven a Model S many times now, love it's display(s), and hope to see something similar employed in the 3.

 

[Mihai75]

"Tesla is about making electric cars fun to drive".....welcome to the 21st century driving experience.

I'm all for autonomous cars, and even a less cluttered elegant dash. But this design is not the way to do it. I wonder how people would have reacted if the exterior was in the same "spirit" as the interior....