Tesla's vehicles have been setting the standards for traditional automakers in a handful of ways, the latest being the onset of a centralized touchscreen instead of buttons. Despite some recent regulator concerns over what activities the screen can be used for, several automakers have already been or are now putting out vehicles with a similarly-styled screen.

Automakers such as General Motors, Volvo, Stellantis and many others have unveiled their own versions of the touchscreen panels in recent releases, as Inverse reports. Tesla first added the feature to its Model S back in 2012, when touchscreens in vehicles were but a twinkle in the eyes of the auto industry.

"I don't think anyone thought virtualized switches was something people would accept five years ago," said Nichole Kraatz, GM's chief engineer of battery-electric trucks. "Everyone wanted a hundred buttons everywhere."

GM unveiled the interior of its Chevy Silverado EV at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, which included, unsurprisingly, a 17-inch touchscreen.

But once implemented, automakers discovered something unavoidable: touchscreens offered a more adaptable interface than buttons, and they could easily be updated on an ongoing basis through over-the-air software updates, unlike permanent, tactile control buttons.

"We're analog animals, and we can only contemplate so many things at once," explains Ralph Gilles, global head of design for Stellantis. "In our research, people like a tactile interface. With screens, we can change the function of the interior very quickly and introduce features without needing to create a button for it. It's infinitely updatable," Gilles added.

Source: Re-posted and Summarized from Zachary Visconti at evannex.

My Take: They say that, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness."

Re Posted From: Car Interiors Are Being Influenced By Tesla

Auto Helpers

Tesla's vehicles have been setting the standards for traditional automakers in a handful of ways, the latest being the onset of a centralized touchscreen instead of buttons. Despite some recent regulator concerns over what activities the screen can be used for, several automakers have already been or are now putting out vehicles with a similarly-styled screen.

Automakers such as General Motors, Volvo, Stellantis and many others have unveiled their own versions of the touchscreen panels in recent releases, as Inverse reports. Tesla first added the feature to its Model S back in 2012, when touchscreens in vehicles were but a twinkle in the eyes of the auto industry.

"I don't think anyone thought virtualized switches was something people would accept five years ago," said Nichole Kraatz, GM's chief engineer of battery-electric trucks. "Everyone wanted a hundred buttons everywhere."

GM unveiled the interior of its Chevy Silverado EV at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, which included, unsurprisingly, a 17-inch touchscreen.

But once implemented, automakers discovered something unavoidable: touchscreens offered a more adaptable interface than buttons, and they could easily be updated on an ongoing basis through over-the-air software updates, unlike permanent, tactile control buttons.

"We're analog animals, and we can only contemplate so many things at once," explains Ralph Gilles, global head of design for Stellantis. "In our research, people like a tactile interface. With screens, we can change the function of the interior very quickly and introduce features without needing to create a button for it. It's infinitely updatable," Gilles added.

Source: Re-posted and Summarized from Zachary Visconti at evannex.

My Take: They say that, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness."

Re Posted From: Car Interiors Are Being Influenced By Tesla

Auto Helpers