There are some things that tesla does that I think are poor design, and that is the most egregious. lack of tactile controls for critical functions is just as bad, like touch controls for turn signals... ugh.
I guess the last car I could drive and fiddle with the controls without looking was my 2003 EP3 hatch. So I figure if all cars are going to make me look at a screen as I fiddle, in for a pinch, in for a pound.
Here’s the thing: any dashboard (that’s not projected into the windscreen) requires you to look away from the road, whether it’s front/below or side/below. The only data you’d likely be checking on a regular basis in an EV whilst on the move is speed; speed is top-left of the screen (i.e. closest to the driver’s regular gaze position) and retraining to deflect your gaze there takes very little practise. Once you’re accustomed, flicking your eyes there for a fraction of a second is no different to flicking your eyes to a traditional dashboard for a fraction of a second.
Even without glasses, to look at your right direction, your nose is in the way of left eyes vision and you actively need to look at the speedometer by turning your head.
And I'd argue it probably better than some traditionally-located speedometers, given challenges of poor contrast or visibility, different gauge styles, and the unpredictable coverage of the cluster by the steering wheel in various cars.
Wait… really?
Tesla may yet change their minds. My 2013 S (car ~ 4000) has the cruise control stalk in the Mercedes position. It was moved to a more traditional location a few months later.
In the newly refreshed Model S they are.
[0] https://thegreencarguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GCG_Te...
We'll you've obviously been driving an egg this whole time.
Don't get me wrong, it's a stupid design. I have a Model 3, and really wish I had a front instrument cluster, too. But the whole thread seems to be half-truths from various camps trying to mislead each other.