Tesla’s touchscreen-based gear selector for new Model S is legal, confirms NHTSA

It may be legal but it’s ridiculous. There’s aspects of driving which should not require you to look at the function to use it. It would be as ridiculous as touchscreen-based turn signals. Elon is doing this to reduce parts, not because he’s ignorant of ergonomics.

Interestingly, when the Model 3 first appeared, cruise control and Autopilot speed adjustments required touching the screen buttons to engage. Owners complained that this was too cumbersome, that you couldn’t do a no-look adjustment of the speed. Months later Tesla programmed it into the thumbwheel to the relief of drivers. The latest complaint is how Tesla shrank the usable screen real estate on the Model 3 display in order to expand the Autopilot screen rendering.

How Tesla normalizes these software changes affecting driving behavior amazes me. There’s also not a shortage of fanboys who can see no wrong.