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Comment by slg | Hacker News Reader

Some of the press pics and video from inside the car is really interesting. There is no instrument panel and the only screen is the center tablet. That would seem to be somewhat inconvenient to view things like speed. I wonder if that is hinting at a future with expanded autopilot were the driver can pay less attention to the instruments.

[1] - https://twitter.com/autonews_west/status/715761107508584448

[2] - https://twitter.com/autonews_west/status/715767638916472833

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If this is the final design, I think it's a terrible decision. I hope the production model will include an actual instrument panel.

I can understand wanting to use a screen rather than physical instruments (which are more complex, expensive, and have moving parts that break), but I hope they place it in front of the driver, not off to the right in the final version. Or at least have a smaller screen in front with things like speed and battery level.

Usually you'd drive on cruise control, I reckon. Wouldn't be surprised if Tesla has or adds a semi-auto cruise control that either matches speed with other traffic, or with the speed limits on that stretch of road already.

It has.

Obviously you're expectd to be a hardcore motorsport enthusiast who has a honed instinct for the current kph :p

As a UI designer this is really interesting. How do drivers view speed? I need a demo video!

I think the car has to have a HUD...surely...

I don't think it needs one. Speed is displayed on the driver's side of the center screen. There are lots of cars out there already with the instrument cluster in the center of the dashboard rather than behind the steering wheel, such as the Prius.

That's buried into the dash though. So... 35 degree viewing angle maybe? No way the floating near the cup holders tablet can be final. It's have to be like a 55 degree viewing angle? It would have the most distracting, just plain bad ergonomics of any car ever produced (that I can think of).

Think of glancing at your center-dash Nav. Now imagine it on a pedestal pushing it another 5 or 6 inches off the dash straight back. It'd be downright dangerous IMO.

But where are the cup holders? The pictures look like blanks. The a/c vents? The running gear controls? A gear selector? Surely that's not on the steering wheel or tablet?

I'd bet this is a reveal of a chassis and power train. Not the car's interior. I would expect major changes ahead.

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