Because forty some buttons is a better UI than a touch screen you rarely if ever need to interface with. I have posted about this before. "Muscle" memory works on well designed screen UIs as well, especially those which are simple to use and don't involve sub menu after sub menu. If you want to get silly, my TM3 can drive just fine while I pretend to not remember where an option i never would use while driving is.
The Tesla UI is the simplest screen based system I have used in a vehicle. The first rule is, you never really need to interact with it at all during a drive. This is true for many cars, even those with forty buttons AND a screen. Most cars have automatic climate control, automatic head lamps, many have automatic wipers as well. Many replicate simple often used controls to the steering wheel, this usually just means volume control and changing media tracks/stations but its all most ever need during any drive. Tesla's one fault is not having full blue tooth control over audio baked in, maybe they will get off their ass and fix it, who knows, they seem to be fixated on games which you cannot use while driving.
Do a test, first count all your buttons. Put a sticker on each. When safe remove a sticker for each one you actually had to use. Go for it. How is this better? Don't try the argument of taking your eyes off the road. Everyone does this while driving a car properly, checking mirrors and more is a trained activity all good drivers do, taking information in with glances and more all becomes second nature.
The real issue is that in the transition is too many manufacturers are keeping far too much of the old method and combining it with a screen UI, usually a bad screen UI. One that an option you would actually want to use while driving requires more than a quick touch or voice command.
Motortrend's current issue compares a new BMW 3 series, Genesis G70, and a Tesla TM3. They have a nice picture of all three dash boards in one page. What will strike you quickly is how convoluted the G70 and 3 series look.
This Renault is a perfect example of trying to do both methods all at once and failing miserable. Bad UI is bad no matter if its buttons only or screen only and doubly worse when its both.
The Tesla UI is the simplest screen based system I have used in a vehicle. The first rule is, you never really need to interact with it at all during a drive. This is true for many cars, even those with forty buttons AND a screen. Most cars have automatic climate control, automatic head lamps, many have automatic wipers as well. Many replicate simple often used controls to the steering wheel, this usually just means volume control and changing media tracks/stations but its all most ever need during any drive. Tesla's one fault is not having full blue tooth control over audio baked in, maybe they will get off their ass and fix it, who knows, they seem to be fixated on games which you cannot use while driving.
Do a test, first count all your buttons. Put a sticker on each. When safe remove a sticker for each one you actually had to use. Go for it. How is this better? Don't try the argument of taking your eyes off the road. Everyone does this while driving a car properly, checking mirrors and more is a trained activity all good drivers do, taking information in with glances and more all becomes second nature.
The real issue is that in the transition is too many manufacturers are keeping far too much of the old method and combining it with a screen UI, usually a bad screen UI. One that an option you would actually want to use while driving requires more than a quick touch or voice command.
Motortrend's current issue compares a new BMW 3 series, Genesis G70, and a Tesla TM3. They have a nice picture of all three dash boards in one page. What will strike you quickly is how convoluted the G70 and 3 series look.
This Renault is a perfect example of trying to do both methods all at once and failing miserable. Bad UI is bad no matter if its buttons only or screen only and doubly worse when its both.