EVs are finally embracing physical buttons – with Hyundai the latest to admit to a touchscreen response
- Hyundai design VP says owners are asking for more buttons
- Changes to safety testing will put pressure on physical controls
- As a result, manufacturers are finally starting to rethink vehicle interiors
Hyundai is the latest manufacturer to claim it is reintroducing physical buttons in future vehicles, following customer backlash around clunky and often distracting touchscreen systems.
Ha Hak-soo, vice president of Hyundai Design North America, recently revealed this in an interview with Koreas JoongAng daily news website that the company had been fascinated by the ‘wow factor’ of huge screens and had neglected the convenience of physical buttons.
“When we tested with our focus group, we realized that people get stressed, irritated and stressed when they want to control something but can’t,” Ha said.
The company joins a growing list of automakers who have seen fit to reintroduce physical controls for key functionality, with companies like VW making a U-turn after their decision to go screen-only in early electric ID models, after negative feedback from the press. and general public.
VW’s then CEO, Thomas Schäfer, said that the reliance on touchscreens was “causing a lot of damage” to the brand and that the company subsequently overhauled the infotainment offering during mid-life refreshes of the numerous models in the ID range with good, from backlit physical screens. buttons for climate control, window demisting and emergency lights.
In addition, Euro NCAP, Europe’s leading passenger car safety organization, said earlier this year that it would “encourage OEMs to have physical, easy-to-use and tactile controls for key driving functions such as windshield wipers, hazard lights and turn signals.” technical director Richard Schram told Auto Express.
Analysis: Blame the Tesla Effect
Although very few automakers will admit it, the trend of putting absolutely everything on a large touchscreen is partly thanks to Tesla and its innovative use of tablet-style infotainment systems.
Previously, older brands had merely played with screens neatly embedded in the dashboard or center console, often controlled via a rotary dial and other switches.
Rewind to 2009, with the debut of the Tesla Model S, and Mercedes-Benz still had a physical numeric keypad for entering phone numbers. Now Tesla has taken it a step further by removing indicator stems and other automotive mainstays.
Things have changed and screens in cars are certainly here to stay, with Hyundai even recently revealing that it was teaming up with German optical specialist Zeiss to work on a head-up display that covers the entire windshield.
But capturing everything on one display and its countless submenus is frustrating at first glance and often downright dangerous. Searching for a slider to adjust the cabin temperature is a chore, while asking a clunky AI-powered voice assistant to defrost the rear window is more of a hassle than simply pressing an easy-to-find button .
Until we reach the point where highly autonomous vehicles do most of the driving, we’ll still need physical switches and buttons to make life behind the wheel more convenient and safer.
After all, there’s a reason why an airplane cockpit looks like this and isn’t just a giant touchscreen computer.