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Comment by mikeash | Hacker News Reader

What’s immersive about having a bunch of dials and gauges in front of you?

I've driven the model 3 and the model S (which both present the same information).

I think the dashboard of the model S puts good information in your line of sight. In comparison, using the model 3 display seems a little like trying to use your cellphone while driving.

As to dials and guages, I'm not trying to pin it down to that. Just driving information in your line of sight.

I could also say a HUD would be cool too. I've actually spent some time in military aircraft simulators with actual hardware huds, and I can tell you that it draws you in.

But who knows, I might be one of those people bemoaning the new "iphone gadget" and it's lack of a keyboard :)

I own both. Neither one has the information really in your line of sight (nor does any other car, unless they have HUDs). You have to move your eyes in a different direction, but it’s about the same effort. It takes a minute to get used to looking diagonally instead of down, and then it’s business as usual.

Thanks, this is an interesting insight. Still, looking at aircraft with flat screen "glass cockpits" without HUD, they tend to follow the Model S pattern:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_Citation_Mustang#/media...

Critical displays and controls in front of the pilot, other controls readily accessible by feel/muscle memory. Aircraft designers tend to be very conservative due to safety, but cars involve safety considerations too--which is why I think car designers do tend to stick to standard configurations.

I’m not sure it’s comparable. There’s a lot of information you need to keep an eye on when flying. Speed, altitude, attitude, coordination, heading, position, etc. Lose track of any of those and you can get behind the airplane and crash.

In a car, you sorta need to know your speed, and that’s it. Even speed is not entirely necessary. In an ICE car you also might want to keep an eye on engine RPM, oil temperature, and other such things, but you don’t need them in an EV

If all your instruments go out in an airplane, it’s an emergency. Depending on the aircraft type and situation, it may mean certain death. If it happens in a car... I’m not convinced most drivers would even notice. Those who do would only be mildly inconvenienced at worst.

Edit: here’s an example of an airplane with side by side seating and a central instrument panel: https://www.pipistrel-usa.com/taurus/. Gliders are much more car-like in their instrumentation needs, although they still need a bit more, and losing them all is still an emergency.

I have spent a little time flying in the left seat and right seat of real single engine aircraft (although I have never been in any Tesla.) I would say it's comparable, but a matter of degree. It is true that there is a much higher workload on the a/c pilot, especially on taxiing, takeoff, and landing. Pilots rely completely on their instruments during IFR.

I have the feeling safety would be an issue if I was fumbling around for the defroster menu item in the mountains rather than having it at hand when my windshield was rapidly fogging up--in any vehicle. (Ask me about my trip to Laramie, WY last week.) Driving off a cliff would be a bad day, too. What about the battery overheating indicator? I would rather that be in front of me too in an electric car. A chime could help in this situation, but what if people where honking at you while seeing smoke coming from your vehicle?

BTW, did you notice the redundant mechanical instrument cluster in the Cessna Mustang (located above the display with the map)--another design element that increases safety if you have a primary display failure...

What battery overheating indicator?

The power meter, which is with the speedometer, has an indication if battery output is throttled. You can also feel it in the accelerator, no need to look.

Wait, the car doesn't tell you if the battery is overheating? That doesn't happen with Li-ion batteries? I heard it does in cars and airplanes and laptops...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_787_Dreamliner_battery_...

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/overheating.109238/

If the battery is physically damaged causing a runaway, the car flashes a huge warning and beeps. But that isn’t caused by ordinary events like driving up a steep hill when it’s hot out. It’s caused by accidents that significantly damage the car.

Battery failures can also be caused by manufacturing/design defects in the cells (as in the Boeing batteries) or malfunctioning components of the active cooling system in the Model 3 like fans/pumps/coolant (like the Tesla club owner).

Having a coolant temperature gauge in front of you could show you a trending problem, before the car announces to you that it is shutting down as you attempt to merge into 75 MPH traffic.

I don't think the Boeing failure would cause a runaway in a Tesla battery, nor any other electric car allowed on the road, nor in the redesigned Boeing 787 battery pack.

The Tesla club comment at the top of your link is about a Roadster, not a Model 3.

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