Tesla Owner Adds Physical Buttons To His Model Y, Drives Fanboys Crazy

[usonian]

An eject button? I guess not.

https://www.carscoops.com/2023/10/tesla-owner-adds-physical-buttons-to-his-model-y-drives-minimalists-crazy/

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Tesla’s minimalist design ethos has proven to be extremely popular with most of its customer base, but there are still some owners out there who wish their cars had more physical controls beyond a touchscreen. Case in point is this Model Y owner from China, who installed a button panel in his car to add some much-desired tactile feedback.

A video of the panel was shared on X by user @ray4tesla, which showed off its functionality in addition to the Tesla owner’s other modifications such as a gauge cluster and yoke steering wheel. Some of the buttons are capable of performing direct functions, while others instead serve as shortcuts to the more complex menus that can’t be operated with a single touch.

The post mentions the man in the video made the button panel, but the craftsmanship and finishing look anything but homemade. We’d imagine it’s likely a purchasable product, but if it truly is a DIY creation, we give the owner full kudos. Regardless, that doesn’t detract from how well it integrates with the Tesla’s existing infotainment system. All it took was two screws to mount it, and one plug to connect it to the car’s computer, and it was ready for action.

Interestingly, @ray4tesla felt the buttons defeated the purpose of Tesla‘s minimalist design language. While some of them may be a bit redundant, we’d actually argue the opposite. It’s one thing to be minimalist, but it’s another thing to be minimalist to the point where it hinders functionality. You shouldn’t need to rely on a screen for every function in the car, and these buttons just help to streamline the most commonly used functions. And at the end of the day, the twelve buttons that this panel adds is still plenty minimalist in an interior as stark as the Model Y’s.

[Shermann]

1. I think there's a sweet spot for minimalism

I think Tesla tapped into something with their simplified vehicle interface. But in my opinion, it is too minimalistic. There is a concept called "graceful degradation" which is not implemented here. That means if the display goes out, you don't lose your entire interface. So put a few strategic gauges and knobs on there and your system will have better redundancy. That area where the gauge cluster would go is just wasted space.

[Mr.Bill]

2. I don't like touch screens.

They require, for the most part, taking my eyes off the road even if only for a few seconds. A lot can happen in a few seconds at 70 mph.

The audio system in my Nissan Sentra is a touch screen, but some of the controls like volume and changing station presets are duplicated on the steering wheel and there is a volume knob near the touchscreen itself. Showing what station you are on is also shown on the instrument cluster between the tachometer and speedometer.

[Wonder Why]

3. Tesla's minimalism gives a whole new meaning to Back Seat Driver.

You need a right seat driver to help you navigate the menus.

[pansypoo53219]

4. i like old cars. i miss buttons. i also want the car couch!

[Old Crank]

5. Why you need auto pilot.

Nothing can be done with these touch screens without searching through several layers.

Back in the old days you could work your radio and watch the road.

And get off my lawn....

[usonian]

6. Surprise reply a month after the last one. You work at my pace!

I suspect that voice input would be the least distracting if it worked.

Cue kids screaming “Are we there yet?”

Elon wants direct connection to the brain (with wires, a bespoke experiment at U.C. Davis ended horribly for animals, I previously reported.) and in his case, I’d gladly raise the voltage.

All of that said, have you noticed that a great many of the “miracle” tech developments are simply mind-bogglingly complex replacements for what humans used to do, like my chauffeur who quit and the butler who takes care of my clothes and does the shopping. NOT

Some, like the cell phone, do beat the daylights out of a marathon runner to convey messages to distant friends and family.

Oh well.