Wired - What Tesla Needs to Fix Before It Gives Us a New Model S

[Nubo]

I hate the idea of adding more buttons and don't feel it is necessary nor helpful.
Most of the more common controls can be accessed though the steering wheel buttons and dials.
So if you really want a dial for temp settings, you have one.

Ah, thanks for the info. I have to admit I have only spent a few minutes yet behind the wheel of a Tesla .

 

[TexasEV]

Uh... because I have to them shift OUT of park? If I'm driving up to pick someone up quickly, I should be able to, like in any other ICE vehicle, unlock the doors and let passengers in, without shifting into or out of park.

You can. Just tap unlock on the controls screen.

 

[HankLloydRight]

You can. Just tap unlock on the controls screen.

But that requires changing screens, bringing up the "Controls" screen, and looking for and finding the "unlock" button on the screen. When someone is outside waiting to get inside, like if it's cold or raining out, it a bit of an imposition and frankly, embarrassing... the first thing the passenger says when getting in is "you can't just unlock the doors??!?!". Nope, you can't. Sorry Tesla, that is NOT progress when you piss off people who need to USE your products.

Just like the sunroof comment above, a SIMPLE, SINGLE real button sometime is better than fumbling around with a VIRTUAL interface, especially while driving (in case of the sunroof).

Just because you can make everything accessible on the touch screen does not mean that it is automatically the best solution from a USER INTERFACE perspective.

 

[SteveG3]

To be fair, item 3 was "Prohibit at least some touchscreen options while driving".

That being said, I strongly agree with #4. The touch screen is nice, but it is no substitute for reaching for a button or knob whose location is committed to muscle memory, has positive tactile identification and whose function can be engaged without the need to look. The interface should suit the task. Big screen = great for maps, graphs, etc... But when it comes to commanding a change in temperature or airflow settings, a knob is superior to fussing with a touch-screen. As a compromise perhaps I'd suggest the implementation of gestures for such functions -- i.e. input that is agnostic regarding screen location and can be accomplished without looking.

I've not had much time in a Model S, but if I'm understanding correctly, that bit at the end sounds like a very promising idea... for some key functions like raising, lowering temperature, just a gesture anywhere on the touchscreen (i.e. two finger swipe up increase temp, two finger swipe down decrease temp). Not sure what's already on steering wheel, but some simple gestures anywhere on that giant touch screen would be about the easiest touch control option I can imagine.

 

[dsm363]

So is putting the car in park not an option? It may be something you are not used to be takes even less time than traditional door locks. Your right hand is already right next to gear shift. You don't even need to take your hand off it. You come to stop, tap park and when they hop in car push down for drive.

A few more buttons might be nice though. Maybe ones you could program to what you wanted.

 

[3mp_kwh]

More knobs means less ability to update functionality through software. No thanks.

I really don't understand this. You could apply it to a computer mouse and say the same thing. Should we take them away for more functionality? Maybe we should replace the standard computer mouse / cursor pairing, with another flat touch-screen. Get rid of the left/right buttons. Then, we can focus on the beautiful pad and see what it is about to execute, over on the main screen.

I don't get the logic that man has multiple senses, but the one best mortgaged for driving is his sight.

 

[freds]

#4 -- Add ONE global LOCK/UNLOCK button, so I don't have to shift into park to let people into the car.

I just hit the control panel and the unlock button, didn't know they auto-extended as soon as you put it park.

 

[TexasEV]

But that requires changing screens, bringing up the "Controls" screen, and looking for and finding the "unlock" button on the screen. When someone is outside waiting to get inside, like if it's cold or raining out, it a bit of an imposition and frankly, embarrassing... the first thing the passenger says when getting in is "you can't just unlock the doors??!?!". Nope, you can't. Sorry Tesla, that is NOT progress when you piss off people who need to USE your products.

Just like the sunroof comment above, a SIMPLE, SINGLE real button sometime is better than fumbling around with a VIRTUAL interface, especially while driving (in case of the sunroof).

Just because you can make everything accessible on the touch screen does not mean that it is automatically the best solution from a USER INTERFACE perspective.

You do have a button to unlock the doors if you prefer that instead of tapping "controls" and then "unlock". It's the park button. It seems you just want it to be a different button for some reason. When it's cold or raining out pressing the park button doesn't take any longer than it would to press any other button. Then just push down to drive as David said. You can even do that while your guest is getting into the car, if you don't think the car should be in park when someone is getting in it.

 

[Beckler]

Just because you can make everything accessible on the touch screen does not mean that it is automatically the best solution from a USER INTERFACE perspective.

+1. They've inadvisably gone the apple route for I think 2 reasons: a. they think it improves the 'style' factor (I don't agree) and b. less hardware means less cost and potential failure points. The key is strategic use of both touch and hardware controls. Regardless of what individual preferences are, there are physical ergonomic truths (we have 10 fingers, a primitive non-multitasking brain , etc.) which means that there are more and less efficient interfaces, for everyone.

 

[HankLloydRight]

You do have a button to unlock the doors if you prefer that instead of tapping "controls" and then "unlock". It's the park button. It seems you just want it to be a different button for some reason. When it's cold or raining out pressing the park button doesn't take any longer than it would to press any other button. Then just push down to drive as David said. You can even do that while your guest is getting into the car, if you don't think the car should be in park when someone is getting in it.

That's not the point. The point is that the door handles extending is linked to the gear the car is in, which it should NOT be. If I pull up to pick someone up, I shouldn't have to think "oh, crap, I have to PARK THE CAR before anyone can get in". That's just really stupid logic. It's faulty logic to tie those two things together WITHOUT offering some other DIRECT button to lock/unlock the doors LIKE EVERY OTHER CAR OUT THERE. Some cars have their door locks automatically when the car exceeds some low speed, but even that can be turned off as a user setting. It also flies in the face of a user interface STANDARD for people who might not know how the Tesla works, that there is no "Unlock" button anywhere in the car other than the GEAR SHIFT or the touch screen -- places someone in the car who isn't the owner would NOT know where to look.

Like I said, just because you CAN do this, doesn't mean it's right, and just because Tesla Motors does something, doesn't make it a gold standard all of a sudden. It's still wrong. Not everything TM does turns to gold.

 

[MSEV]

I am just really pleased, given that I have a MS on order and don't really know a lot about what I am getting into, that this minor list is all that is seen as problems to be fixed on this car. That is pretty amazing.

 

[dsm363]

That's not the point. The point is that the door handles extending is linked to the gear the car is in, which it should NOT be. If I pull up to pick someone up, I shouldn't have to think "oh, crap, I have to PARK THE CAR before anyone can get in". That's just really stupid logic. It's faulty logic to tie those two things together WITHOUT offering some other DIRECT button to lock/unlock the doors LIKE EVERY OTHER CAR OUT THERE. Some cars have their door locks automatically when the car exceeds some low speed, but even that can be turned off as a user setting. It also flies in the face of a user interface STANDARD for people who might not know how the Tesla works, that there is no "Unlock" button anywhere in the car other than the GEAR SHIFT or the touch screen -- places someone in the car who isn't the owner would NOT know where to look.

Like I said, just because you CAN do this, doesn't mean it's right, and just because Tesla Motors does something, doesn't make it a gold standard all of a sudden. It's still wrong. Not everything TM does turns to gold.

Why does it have to be like every other car out there? Think if that button as the unlock doors button when speed is zero mph if that helps. Is it a little unusual? Sure but it's not that hard to adjust to that small change.

 

[AnOutsider]

Why does it have to be like every other car out there? Think if that button as the unlock doors button when speed is zero mph if that helps. Is it a little unusual? Sure but it's not that hard to adjust to that small change.

I have to agree with hank. It's an annoyance and a compromise for their minimalist interior. Feels a little fisher-ish where the function is compromised for form.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Why does it have to be like every other car out there? Think if that button as the unlock doors button when speed is zero mph if that helps. Is it a little unusual? Sure but it's not that hard to adjust to that small change.

Using that logic, why don't the turn the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal into a joystick?

Because there have been driving standards developed over the decades that most drivers expect to be on a car.

And in another scenario, if I'm parked somewhere "unsafe", I'd like to know that my doors are locked, so someone can't just walk up and tap the handles to get in the car. Or once I locked the doors, be able to unlock them to let someone in without using the PARK button or the touchscreen. It's one of the most simple, basic functions of the car. They put the power windows on real switches, why not move those to the touchscreen as well like the sunroof? There are a few basic, standard interfaces every car should have: Steering Wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, power window switches, and lock/unlock button (and a sunroof switch in the overhead panel, where it should be).

 

[artsci]

I don't give a flying you know what about what Wired thinks. The fact that they want buttons is laughable.

 

[HankLloydRight]

I don't give a flying you know what about what Wired thinks. The fact that they want buttons is laughable.

I agree, except that I just want ONE MORE button!!

 

[TES-E]

Do. Not. Add. ANY. Buttons.

 

[Merrill]

I love the model s the way it is, sure you could have more stuff but do I need it. No!!!!!!!!

 

[hingisfan]

Add awd, 4G, adaptive cruise, and a little more headroom and its my perfect car.

 

[Doug_G]

AWD and adaptive cruise control - done.