Why?! I can understand one touchscreen for complex functions, but at least retain buttons for core functions. No one wants to tap five different screens to control the AC direction or wiper blades.

Add to that, I'm sure some market research is telling them either touch screens are popular, or that it's not a deal breaker for most people

Of course there are significant drawbacks as well.

I dislike it enough when Microsoft or Apple slip in a UI update with a feature update. For something like a car the driving needs to be instinctual so I can spend my attention on the other vehicles. Changing the UI gets in the way of that instinct.

I don't want touchscreens in a car. I don't want my UI to change. That doesn't change the fact that many people do. Companies build for what customers want, not what engineers want. And even then, many (maybe even most) engineers would align with the average customer.

Controls for the driver need to be physical, full stop.

There's more than just driver preference at play here; there's physical usability and its impact on safety, and that should override expectations people have with tablets.

We're flying around with 2 ton missiles, it's best we treat them with the appropriate respect.

Or you can put the Tesla on autopilot for the few seconds while fiddling with the touch screen, which (to me) feels much more safer than e.g. messing with a physical radio in a car without such assistence features.

(I'm not arguing with you, in fact I mostly agree with you.)

Are there studies proving this?

https://www.thestar.com/autos/2022/05/28/touchscreens-are-co...

"Of the 30 different vehicles tested from 18 different brands, not a single vehicle from the study produced a low level of demand for the driver’s attention. Seven vehicles tested produced moderate demand, while 23 generated a high or very high demand. In fact, the study found drivers distracted, with their eyes completely off the road for as long as 40 seconds at certain times.

The concentration of critical functions being housed within a centre touchscreen becomes even more problematic given the lack of any feedback they offer, forcing drivers to look at the screen to confirm activation. Industry research has shown that it’s significantly easier to locate a physical control than hunting through sub-menus, as tactile or haptic feedback lets drivers develop muscle memory for key controls."

And it's an editorial but I fully agree with its conclusions:

https://www.thedrive.com/tech/39304/why-im-done-pretending-t...

I'm a fan of Mazda's use of a dial for control when the vehicle is moving. Touchscreens are stupid if the driver has to use them.

Like switching the AC on/off. You can hide away all the complex thermostat settings in the touchscreen but at least give me a physical AC button.

Saw the new Rivian and it has touchscreen controls for moving the AC vents around! What could ever change in the near future that moving the AC vents needs a feature upgrade?

Tesla has the same and it has changed the UI for AC operation in the past. To be clear, I'm not convincing people that it is a good thing and I understand the frustration. But I personally like how the car changes, the same way I like how iOS changes.

https://twitter.com/TheEVuniverse/status/1599487909156880384

As far as I can tell, that would be all of them. And if rumors are true, Tesla might be about to escalate that to the next level with their bread-and-butter cars. Brave, or stupid, ask in a year.

That said, I'm not sure I'd buy it again due to (effectively) political bullshit. And the choices for this semi do look like they're the opposite end of usability compared to the 3/Y.

Would be surprised to see the yoke on TM3/Y, since the only purposes of that thing are to make TMS/X "cooler" and to make it easier to see the the display which TM3/Y lack.

[0] - https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/1084/tesla-s-2023-model-3-...

[1] - https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/tesla-s...

I generally find Teslas to be pretty unattractive from the form perspective. Body-wise, the Model 3 looks too "tall" to me from the back. The interior doesn't look spartan to me, it looks empty in a cheap sort of way. For the models where the touchscreen is on a mount rather than embedded in the dash, it looks bolted-on rather than designed.

Sure, these things are subjective, but I don't really think Teslas look all that nice, inside or out. My feeling is that much of the drooling over Tesla aesthetics is Musk's version of the Jobs Realty Distortion Field. Sure, early Tesla models had body designs way better than any other EV out there, but other manufacturers are catching up, and IMO the Model 3 is a step back, aesthetics-wise, from the Model S.

1. I don't think I've heard anyone (who doesn't work at Tesla) ever say anything positive about the driving yoke.

2. Using touch screens for everything. Obviously touchscreens have the benefit of allowing the UI to be reconfigurable, but other companies have done a much better job of having important physical buttons/controls where it makes sense.

Agreed it could use a few physical buttons (but not many, voice control + the steering wheel controls are the majority of my usage). They also really need a new lead UI designer.

a few moments in a skid monster or on a skid pad will show you why hand over hand is the only way to maintain control.

It is the same reason steering wheel knobs are a bad idea unless you have physical requirements that require one.

The yoke steering wheel is only a few lawsuits away from being a historical novelty.

The horn button gets universally negative reviews. The yoke shape itself is more mixed, but I don't think I've run into anyone who'd prefer it over a round one. It more mixed between "I hate it" and "its ok". :)