Volkswagen removed many physical controls from its initial electric vehicles and endured a lengthy, difficult learning experience as a result.
- Volkswagen plans to reintroduce physical keys for control starting with the ID.2 model.
- In all upcoming models, the primary controls will be presented as buttons rather than touch panels on the steering wheel.
- Mercedes is another car manufacturer that recognized in-car screens are far from perfect.
Car manufacturers are gradually beginning to pay attention to the complaints from both automotive journalists and vehicle owners who have voiced their concerns over nearly ten years: integrating all of the car’s features onto a touchscreen is not as effective as possessing individual physical buttons for essential operations.
One of the companies noted for reverting to physical keys is Volkswagen , whose newest models have become overly reliant on touch controls, with features either hidden within a touchscreen interface or moved to an irritating haptic feedback panel.
For quite some time, we've been aware that Volkswagen was contemplating reinstating certain physical buttons in their vehicles; however, the company had not formally confirmed these plans. Recently though, Andreas Mindt, who heads up Volkswagen's design team, has confessed to this idea. Autocar That using this method was an error, and now the car manufacturer is reversing course on this direction.
“From the ID.2all From now on, we will feature physical buttons for the five key functionalities—the volume control, temperature adjustment on both sides of the vehicle, fan operation, and hazard lights—located beneath the display," Mindt explained. Autocar. He stated, "These will be present in all our vehicles moving forward. We vow to never repeat this error again. Physical buttons will adorn the steering wheels instead. No more ambiguity. They offer tangible feedback; they feel authentic, and consumers adore them. Frankly, these are cars—not smartphones."
In addition to this, the five functions that will feature dedicated controls are: criteria set by Euro NCAP, which plans to incorporate these into its safety assessments beginning in 2026 If a vehicle lacks tangible controls for the horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, hazard lights, and SOS features, it will not attain the highest five-star rating.
Therefore, it's not only journalists who believe shifting entirely towards touch-only interfaces is unwise. Matthew Avery, the director of strategic development at NCAP, pointed out: “We’re witnessing an increasing number of accidents caused by distractions as people rely more on these interfaces.” Politico .
You'll understand why that isn't surprising if you've ridden in a contemporary Volkswagen, similar to this one. an ID.4 , which requires you to use illuminated touch sliders beneath the display for adjusting the cabin temperature or media volume (though the 2024 update added backlighting across all models except the entry-level one). If you wish to precisely control your climate settings, you have to navigate through the touchscreen, making it more complicated than necessary—even when Volkswagen’s infotainment system functions properly.
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- The Mazda 6e is a stunning rear-wheel-drive electric liftback featuring a 50-inch virtual screen.
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Volkswagen degraded the driving experience further by incorporating haptic panels onto the steering wheel rather than using traditional buttons. These panels might be triggered inadvertently during normal operation, and they often fail to react properly when intentional contact is made.
Mercedes is another brand that fully embraced displays, with its steering-wheel mounted touch controls being an additional feature. more annoying then VW’s. Similar to Volkswagen, Mercedes ought to consider reverting to buttons and knobs following statements from the company’s Chief Design Officer, Gorden Wagener, who acknowledged that “ screens aren’t luxury. This statement originates from a car manufacturer that provides an extensive 56-inch display consisting of three screens fitted across the entirety of the dashboard.
Expense has significantly fueled this shift. Car manufacturers understand that incorporating a large display in contemporary vehicles is essential for attracting buyers. Consequently, it becomes more straightforward and cost-effective to consolidate all controls into a single touchscreen instead of procuring and installing multiple physical buttons. This approach has resulted in considerable frustrations, as seen with Volkswagen and Volvo implementing such designs. Their windows switch far more irritatingly just for pennies in savings. .
Tesla initiated this trend with the original Model S And with its enormous display that made everything appear outdated. Despite being an impressive screen that pushed traditional car manufacturers to struggle to keep up, once the initial excitement faded, many began questioning if relying solely on a screen for the experience was truly superior.
This issue became more pronounced with subsequent Tesla models. The introduction of the Model 3 Highland pushed minimalist design even further by eliminating the turn signal, windshield wiper, and gear shift stalks altogether. Currently, their vehicles are uniquely reliant on swiping on a touchscreen to select drive modes like forward or reverse. However, Tesla eventually acknowledged that removing the indicator stalk went too far. And it will probably return it, though in a more basic version lacking any extra features.
Gradually, these businesses appear to be realizing that physical buttons can be crucial for safety at high speeds on the road. Even if this adds a few extra cents to the cost of each vehicle for brands like Volkswagen and Tesla, it appears to be a valuable compromise.