The European union is really taking big positive initiatives recently (usb-c, removable batteries, physical controls, etc)
European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
501–510 of 660 posts
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#502Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then it’s likely you don’t have a significant commute to work in a city with heavy traffic.
How's honking helping the commute?
It helps when people try to merge into the side of your car or when someone forgets to watch traffic signals after stopping at a red light.
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#503Bumpy roads are the bane of touch sensitive interfaces.
Without any doubt, a driver will spend more time and attention trying to operate a touch sensitive interface than a physical knob or button if the car is bouncing or shaking at all due to road surface irregularities.
Not all roads are smooth highways (and some highways are in a horrible state of repair), so managing car systems without physical controls is almost as dangerous as operating a mobile phone.
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#504Earlier quoted context omitted.
What is carsharing, and how does it work insurance-wise?
Like rental, but per minute. Look up car2go, although maybe they're no longer in business in the US, i. Europe they changed their brand name. It's like those scooters you can hire and leave (almost) anywhere, the benefit with a car is, if you park it idiotically, they can check that you were the last driver and forward the parking ticket to you.
Car2Go and Reachnow both ended in the US around 2020.
There are some other carsharing services in the US in some major cities (e.g. gig car share in sf/seattle), but I would argue overall there's less carsharing now compared to 8-9 years ago. Partly the age demographics have changed, ridesharing (uber/lyft) rose in popularity, and carsharing in the us has had its share of profitability issues.
Peak carsharing in the US to me was around 2017-2018 (car2go, reachnow, limepod, maven, ...)
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#505Earlier quoted context omitted.
I know it will cost me karma to point it out, but in a Tesla you can use voice control to adjust your AC/radio/navigation while your eyes are on the road and your car's 10 eyes are on the road.
Does it work if you have a thick (non-American or non-RP) accent? Serious question. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMS2VnDveP8
As one of the comments pointed out, it's even funnier if you turn on the automatic captions :)
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#506Earlier quoted context omitted.
What people call "real buttons" usually require a certain force and travel to activate. Capacitive buttons require little to no force or feedback, sometimes not even solid contact. I think the easiest way to understand the difference is to ask 2 questions: "can I put my finger on that button and not immediately trigger it" and "can I can physically tell that I am triggering it (ideally some physical travel)?" If the…
The parent commenter was making the point that the particular buttons on the latest Model 3 (Highland) actually feel almost like physical buttons. They require pressure and won’t activate just by being brushed against. Still, as blinker controls they don’t have tactile markings and a stalk would be much better.
> feel almost like physical buttons
You're correct. But I was addressing GP's wording (emphasis mine):
> those 'haptic' buttons are real buttons
I was making the point that it's not a "real button" if, as you also say, it just "almost like" a real button. Knowing the M3 buttons, that "almost" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Press a classic hazard lights button, and a Tesla signal button and see if they really feel similar. No need to go to the vastly different stalk.
For any normal person a button involves not only the application of pressure but also the consistent feedback of travel. Things like Apple's taptic engine and similar techniques simulate already bad buttons with microscopic travel.
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#507Earlier quoted context omitted.
Doesn't Skoda have pretty sensible steering wheels still?
The Skoda I just rented in Portugal has real controls but they were really horrible. Even once I got used to their locations, I regularly made something happened than I wanted. Rear windows open instead of front, etc. There's even a control for the digital dashpanel enticing one to play with the display while driving.
I really wonder how much money you can save by removing the individual rear window buttons and instead adding a modal touch "rear" button, like VAG has started doing.
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#508The worst is when the touchscreen freezes and there is no master breaker switch to throw to reboot it “in flight.” You have to pull over, shut the car off, open the door, close the door, then start the car to reboot it.
What car do you have that does this?
My parents' Mercedes-Benz SUV (GLC I think) has (had?) that problem.
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#509> Now, Euro NCAP is not insisting on everything being its own button or switch. But the organization wants to see physical controls for turn signals, hazard lights, windshield wipers, the horn, and any SOS features This is much more reasonable than I assumed. Unlike seemingly most people here I have no problem whatsoever with fan controls or audio controls or whatever on the touchscreen, as long as it is responsive (…
I can’t believe that Tesla still ships cars without a center-press horn button.
I own a Model S Plaid, and the horn button’s location on the yoke can generally only be reached by the driver’s right hand. Even more dangerous, its position in space changes dramatically any time you are in the middle of a turn. The horn button is not easy to press in an emergency.
Same story with the turn signals.
If you are in the middle of a turn and you have rotated the yoke 180-degrees, your turn signal buttons are now upside-down, and on the other side of the yoke. I have owned my car for a year and a half, and there are still times when I have to look at the yoke mid-turn to figure out which turn signal button is which.
So stupid.
Re: European crash tester says carmakers must bring back physical controls
#510This was the primary reason I bought my 2024 Mazda3, instead of alternatives in market. The Mazda was the only option that had physical controls for everything. In fact it disables the touch screen altogether when you exceed 10mph, forcing the use of physical controls. It works flawlessly with wireless carplay
It's a shame that Mazda is so late on electric cars. They were a great option.
Yep. My 2011 Mazda3 is great but getting on in age and we'd like to switch to an EV. Sadly Mazda's not in the running at all :( Probably will get either the Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6, whichever has fewer touch screen controls.