VW Design Chief Confirms: Buttons Are Making a Comeback in Cars
Volkswagen removed many physical controls from its initial electric vehicles and went through a lengthy, difficult learning process as a result.
- Volkswagen plans to reintroduce physical keys for control, beginning with the ID.2 model.
- In all upcoming models, the primary controls will be buttons, and they will eliminate touchscreen panels from the steering wheel.
- Another car manufacturer that recognizes in-car displays are not ideal is Mercedes.
Car manufacturers are gradually beginning to pay attention to the complaints from both automotive journalists and vehicle owners that have persisted for nearly ten years now: integrating every function of the car into a single touch screen is not as effective as providing specific physical buttons for crucial operations.
One of the companies noted for reverting to physical keys is Volkswagen , whose recent 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 reintroducing physical buttons in their vehicles. However, the company had not formally confirmed these plans until now. Recently, Andreas Mindt, who leads the design team at VW, confessed about this development. Autocar This method proved to be a misstep, and the car manufacturer is now reversing course on this trend.
“From the ID.2all From now on, we will include physical buttons for the five key functionalities: volume control, temperature adjustment on both sides of the vehicle, fan operation, and hazard lights, located below the screen," Mindt explained. Autocar. He stated, "These will be present in all our cars moving forward. We won’t repeat this error again. Physical buttons will be placed on the steering wheel instead of touch controls. This eliminates any uncertainty; you get tangible feedback which feels authentic, and consumers appreciate it immensely. To clarify, a vehicle isn't meant to function like a smartphone."
The five functions that will have dedicated controls are in addition to 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 view the shift towards touch-only interfaces as unwise. Matthew Avery, NCAP's director of strategic development, pointed out: "We are witnessing an increasing number of cases involving accidents due to distractions caused by 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 haptic sliders beneath the screen for adjusting the cabin temperature or media volume (though the 2024 update did add backlighting across all models except the entry-level one). If you wish to precisely tweak your climate control settings, you have to navigate through the touchscreen—an option that proves more cumbersome than necessary, particularly when Volkswagen’s infotainment system isn’t functioning optimally.
- BMW’s Latest Panoramic iDrive Introduces Additional Displays with a Unique Twist
- The Revised Tesla Model Y Continues to Feature Its Turn Signal Lever
- The Mazda 6e is a stunning rear-wheel-drive electric liftback featuring a 50-inch virtual screen.
- Disregard Displays: Hyundai Aims to Transfer Controls Onto Your Windshield
- What Electric Vehicle Offers the Superior User Experience?
- Xiaomi's Latest Electric Vehicle Will Allow Users to Install Physical Buttons Beneath Its Touchscreen
Volkswagen degraded the driving experience further by incorporating haptic panels onto the steering wheel rather than using traditional buttons. Thesepanels might be triggered inadvertently during normal use, and they often fail to react properly when intentional interaction is desired.
Mercedes is another brand that fully embraced display technology, with its steering-wheel mounted touchscreen controls being an additional feature. more annoying Then there’s Volkswagen’s approach. Similarly, Mercedes ought to consider reverting to buttons and knobs following remarks from their Chief Design Officer, Gorden Wagener, who stated that “ screens aren’t luxury. This comes from a car manufacturer that provides an enormous 56-inch display consisting of three screens spanning across the entire dashboard.
Expense has significantly fueled this development. Car manufacturers understand that incorporating a large display is essential for appealing to today’s consumers. Consequently, integrating every function into a single touchscreen becomes more straightforward and economical compared to installing multiple individual physical buttons. This approach has resulted in considerable user frustration, as seen with Volkswagen and Volvo implementing such designs. Their windows switch settings are far more irritating for mere cents 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 strive for improvement, once the initial excitement faded, many began questioning if relying solely on a screen-based interface 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 entirely. This makes their vehicles uniquely dependent on swiping controls on a touchscreen for shifting between drive and reverse gears. However, Tesla eventually acknowledged that removing the indicator stalk went too far. And it will probably return it, albeit in a streamlined version devoid of extra features.
Gradually, these businesses appear to be realizing that physical buttons can be crucial for safety at high speeds of 65 mph on the freeway. 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 beneficial compromise.