Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars?

#41

Post by SOLAR_FIELDS » Wed, Jul 19, 2023, 4:41 AM UTC

jqpabc123 wrote: post #17

SOLAR_FIELDS wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which manufacturers are doing it well in your opinion?

Kia/Hyundai has a very nice and sensible layout using 2 modest sized screens side by side well integrated into the dash, focused toward the driver with analog gauges simulated in the center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWlnOW2JEko They sorta mimiced the digital dash from the Mercedes S-Class for a fraction of the cost. https://st.motortrendenespanol.com/uploads/sites/45/2017/04/... I hate the big fugly, poorly in…

This is nicer than Tesla and the like for sure. But still has a long way to go. Let’s boil down the UX in terms of actions. An action to me is a half second moment where I can divert my attention away from driving and make an adjustment to some aspect of the driver experience. Classic examples include:

- volume adjustment

- temp adjustment

- context switch between maps and music

- song selection action (skip, etc)

- enable/disable cruise control

- toggle display between common views (kph, fuel efficiency, car status)

- perform navigation action

Only the last of those really is improved by touchscreen. Every single one of those other actions is currently an absolute regression vs an analog control. Until each of those actions is at least as good as analog controls, I don’t consider the touchscreen an improvement. Actually, they are to me safety dangers because even the learned motions of the analog controls are safety risks, even if they’re small. Navigating the touchscreen while driving is so much more dangerous

Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars?

#42

Post by fy20 » Wed, Jul 19, 2023, 5:13 AM UTC

EspressoGPT wrote: post #3

There are some lower-fidelity electric cars out there, such as the Dacia Spring or some of the very cheap Chinese cars. That being said, electric cars will always be more high tech than ICE cars because they have to. You will need a more or less fancy screen for finding charging stations and navigating them. You will need at least one app on your car or mobile for payments. You will need a mobile app connected with y…

These are all gated behind a subscription for the Pegeout e2008, so they are not a "need".

Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars?

#43

Post by jqpabc123 » Wed, Jul 19, 2023, 11:08 AM UTC

SOLAR_FIELDS wrote: post #41

jqpabc123 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kia/Hyundai has a very nice and sensible layout using 2 modest sized screens side by side well integrated into the dash, focused toward the driver with analog gauges simulated in the center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWlnOW2JEko They sorta mimiced the digital dash from the Mercedes S-Class for a fraction of the cost. https://st.motortrendenespanol.com/uploads/sites/45/2017/04/... I hate the big fugly, poorly in…

This is nicer than Tesla and the like for sure. But still has a long way to go. Let’s boil down the UX in terms of actions. An action to me is a half second moment where I can divert my attention away from driving and make an adjustment to some aspect of the driver experience. Classic examples include: - volume adjustment - temp adjustment - context switch between maps and music - song selection action (skip, etc) -…

Only the last of those really is improved by touchscreen.

Except for navigation, most of those (and more, like answer the phone) can be done from analog steering wheel controls on a Hyundai or a Mercedes.

Hyundai locks out navigation while the car is in motion and a context switch is avoided by a split screen function that allows both at the same time.

Hyundai also features limited voice recognition (call Mom) which is an under utilized control method in my opinion.

https://owners.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/resources/blue-link/voic...

When in doubt, designers should see Kia/Hyundai. They ain't fancy. They just get the job done on a very simple, practical, subdued level --- which wears well over time in my opinion.