Volkswagen removed many of the 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.
- Future models will feature control buttons instead of keys and will eliminate touch panels on the steering wheel.
- Mercedes is another car manufacturer that recognized in-car displays are far from perfect.
Car manufacturers are gradually beginning to heed the concerns voiced by both automotive journalists and vehicle owners over the past ten years: Integrating every function of the car into a single touchscreen is not as effective as providing separate physical buttons for essential operations.
One of the companies that plans to revert to using 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 reintroducing physical buttons in their vehicles. However, the company had not formally confirmed these plans until now. Recently, Andreas Mindt, who heads up design at VW, confessed about this development. Autocar This method was deemed incorrect, and 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: 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 included in all our vehicles moving forward. We won’t repeat this error again. Physical buttons will replace touch controls on the steering wheel. This eliminates any ambiguity. The tactile response provides clear feedback, which customers appreciate. In essence, it’s a car—not a smartphone."
In addition to this, the five functions that will have separate controls are provided. 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, the director of strategic development at NCAP, pointed out that “what we’re witnessing nowadays is an increasing number of… accidents occurring due to distractions from 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 models except the entry-level version). If you wish to precisely customize your climate control settings, you have to navigate through the touchscreen—an option that becomes cumbersome even when Volkswagen's infotainment system functions properly.
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Volkswagen worsened the driving experience by installing haptic panels on the steering wheel instead of conventional buttons. These panels 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 displays, with its steering-wheel mounted touchscreen controls being particularly notable. more annoying than VW’s. Like VW, Mercedes should also go back to buttons and knobs after the company’s Chief Design Officer, Gorden Wagener, admitted that “ screens aren’t luxury. This statement originates from a car manufacturer that provides an extensive 56-inch display composed of three screens fitted within their vehicles, spanning across the complete dashboard area.
Expense has significantly fueled this shift. Car manufacturers understand that incorporating a large display is essential for attracting buyers nowadays. Consequently, integrating every function into a single touchscreen becomes more straightforward and cost-effective compared to installing multiple individual physical buttons. This approach has resulted in considerable user frustration, exemplified by decisions made by brands such as Volkswagen and Volvo. Their windows switch much 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 somewhat 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 entirely. This makes their vehicles uniquely dependent on swiping a touchscreen to select drive modes like forward or reverse. However, at some point, Tesla acknowledged that removing the indicator stalk went too far. And it will probably return it, albeit in a more basic version without extra features.
Gradually, these businesses appear to be realizing that physical buttons can be crucial for safety when driving at speeds of 65 mph on the highway. Even if this adds a few extra cents to the cost of each vehicle for brands like Volkswagen and Tesla, it seems to be a reasonable compromise.
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