The Washington Post:
Last week, Tesla loaned me a Model 3 to review for The Washington Post. Over three days, I navigated the steep learning curve to operate this iPhone with wheels, and ended up convinced it is the car of the future. I also came away a bit concerned about our future.
Even if you’re not interested in owning a Model 3, don’t believe in electric cars, don’t like CEO Elon Musk, or don’t believe Tesla will survive to produce them for $35,000, Tesla is setting the agenda for the auto industry. The Model 3, through cellular, WiFi and Bluetooth connections, is constantly online in ways mass vehicles haven’t been before. Its computer, dashboard, key, motor, brakes, battery, power plug, and cameras (I could go on) are all sending and receiving data. Tesla is turning the car into the largest connected device you’ll own.
As a motorcyclist, this car and others that will come after it, terrify me. The “iPhone on wheels” is an awful and dangerous idea. Watch the video to get an idea of how obscenely huge and distracting that screen is.
The Tesla owners I know generally don’t get distracted by that after a bit (the S has a 17″ screen). It’s a silly large screen though.
The problem here is that he’s only had it 3 days. I’ve had my new Mini Countryman a month and I still haven’t figured out 90% of the stuff it can do (for example, its supposed to be able to park itself).
Then you have better Tesla owners where you live than we do here in Vancouver. I went on a 400km motorcycle ride yesterday and was almost run off the road three times by Tesla owners not paying attention.
Well, we all know how rude Canadians are. 🙂
I totally get the concern, but when I rented a Model 3 for a couple days, it only took me a few minutes before driving to get used to the location of on-screen controls. The UI is thoughtfully laid out and only seemed as distracting as any other car I’ve driven.
How many non-Tesla owners have almost run you off the road? 😉
On another note, active safety features seem to be improving quite a bit recently, so hopefully these features will help improve the safety of motorcyclists as well.
Because drivers needed larger distractions. That’s what was missing from road safety.
“Where’s your survival instinct, assholes? You’re in a car.” That’s just it for most people. When they’re in a car, they’re invulnerable. There’s no survival instinct because they have no fear of an accident.
Many people would be surprised how rude this Canadian can be when you almost take me out while I’m riding past you…
Yesterday? None.
Oh HELL YES. Completely autonomous cars can’t get here fast enough for this rider. But I’m unlikely to see that in my (riding) lifetime.
Seriously? You think this is the same situation? That’s just plain ignorant of the facts.
COOL –X—————– HEAT
OFF ——–X——- HIGH
Done!
Since even before it became a law I’ve avoided “distracted” driving but way, way back the secret was prioritization: I would spend 25 seconds watching the road for every 1 second tapping a single letter. So what if it took me two minutes to say “home soon” if it meant I was still alive (and everyone else, too)? (Edit: And, actually, if I remember right I didn’t text. I would spend two minutes tapping to find the person I wanted before hitting Dial.)
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a better driver without that and I’m glad the law is in place, but it’s baffling to me that people can spend so much time looking away from where they’re going (including lane changes). Where’s your survival instinct, assholes? You’re in a car. You’re unsafe to yourself and everyone around you without putting all your attention on driving.
I love the iOS 11 “do not disturb while driving’ feature. Leave it on all the time and it auto responds to people who text me. If I need to text, I can do the “Hey Siri, text so and so…’ thing.
I think Tesla should blank the screen entirely when in motion (or perhaps leave something up, if it makes sense to see while driving).
@Shawn, I also ride… I think autonomous cars will make the road safer for bikers than distracted/texting drivers, but this is the dangerous middle ground.
Is it about new tech or a certain implementation of said technology?
Motorcyclists are far worse.
“Those damn horseless carriages are an abomination! They scared my Bessy half to death! There oughta be a law!!!!,” said somebody 120 years ago.
“Seriously?” You’re that reactionary to protest differing opinions?
It’s a simple case of techno-phobia on the part of too many. Those who embrace and learn the new technology will benefit from it. Those who resist will suffer in many ways of their own making.
Some serious FUD in this review. Every car for nearly the last decade has a microphone —whether that was for Bluetooth or voice controls or both. Lots of cars in that same time have cameras, whether for backing up or forward facing for lane assist/smart cuise control. Any GM car with OnStar has a data connection to the outside world, even if your aren’t paying for it. Other manufactures have similar tech. Why should we think Tesla is any more nefarious with data than any other manufacturer?
*Some* are, John. Most are not.
I agree with you Shawn.
I agree with you Shawn.
The design and layout of the modern car’s UI is not just some antiquated, slapdash hodgepodge; it’s been honed for nearly a century.
I can get into pretty much any car on the planet and be assured that the speedometer, gas gauge and other “need to have this information” is displayed right in front of me where it’s in my peripheral vision when I look at the horizon ahead of me.
(The VERY first lesson I was given by my driving instructor all those decades ago: “look UP out in front of you. You can still see the gauges, but if you look DOWN at them, you can’t see the road ahead”.)
This kind of UI issue has already been deeply studied with far more critical systems than automobiles (an early Airbus crash with all on board killed was blamed on a confusing ‘glass cockpit’ UI.)
If you have to look down and to your right to see the freaking speedometer, let alone operate any auxiliary controls, that is a recipe for killing people.
Yeah, but you know where the speedometer is and can see it without taking your eyes off the road, right?
Far worse? In what ways?
Huh. I don’t have that confidence. I have a very vivid memory of an accident near my house where car parts were everywhere and a baby seat was by the side of the road. It had been hit by someone speeding in a Mustang. Cars might be 100x more safe for their occupants than a bike is for its rider, but they’re still not safe.
Dangerous and ignoring the road rules way.
Ah. You mean in the “I’m going to make a gross generalization about a whole group of people” kind of way. Got it. Thanks for the response. Let’s me know exactly what kind of person is commenting. Saves me a lot of time discussing this with you. Have a nice day.
“As a motorcyclist, this car and others that will come after it, terrify me.”
And as a motorcyclist, this car and the others that will come after it excite me. The safety features of a car like this possibly being able to avoid collisions with a motorcycles automatically are what I see when I look at what Tesla is doing. It’s also why I bought one. *People* behind the wheel of a car are already terrifying for motorcyclists – I say bring on the autonomous vehicles and take people out of the equation.
The screen is only huge and distracting if you aren’t driving. If you are it completely disappears after you’ve been behind the wheel for more than thirty seconds.
It is literally impossible to be looking at a speedometer and the road at the same time (unless the speed is overlaid on the windshield).
“The screen is only huge and distracting if you aren’t driving.” Tell that to the people I see driving Teslas, manipulating the screen and drifting lanes that I see almost every day.
Shouldn’t be too hard, since it’s unlikely there actually are any and you’re being obtuse purposefully.
Lots of Teslas around here. Lots of them have a center console screen.
Right, and most of the time it’s simply showing navigation, like all of the other new cars on the road. This FUD about Tesla’s screens being distracting is beyond silly.
So you think my real world experience is FUD?
Yep, because I think you’re exaggerating, and you’re associating the bad behavior of drivers in general with a feature of a car that has nothing to do with those behaviors.
As a motorcyclist you should know better than anyone that it isn’t the car or the screen that is causing the problem.
Also, not sure if you know, but FUD stands for fear, uncertainty, and doubt. And that’s *exactly* what you’re spreading with the bullshit in this post.
” it isn’t the car or the screen that is causing the problem.”
If the screen wasn’t there, they wouldn’t be distracted by it, now would they?
“Also, not sure if you know…”
LMAO Thanks for the mansplaining.
“If the screen wasn’t there, they wouldn’t be distracted by it, now would they?”
It’s no different than any other car on the road with a navigation system or a mounted cell phone. The specific hate towards one manufacturer is ridiculous.
“LMAO Thanks for the mansplaining.”
Since you misused the term, the explanation was warranted.
Also I fail to see the reason for you to be a complete asshole in your comments. You’re really making me rethink my membership to this site.