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Comment by jessriedel | Hacker News Reader

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for why this is done?

> Then there's the ID.4, which only has two window switches on the driver's door, with a separate button that shifts their controls between the front and rear windows.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/vw-ceo-admits-frustrating-golf...

Unreal. Note that explanations like "they want to make everything software" don't work, because it was still physical buttons. At best you are reducing the number of physical buttons by two, but then also increasing the number of haptic buttons by one.

Here is a video by VW that tries to explain it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDj4sSyNl_Y

Just absolute lunacy.

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In my career, I've found that a lot of poor decisions like this get made in a committee that's already been at each other's throats for 7 hours and just wants to go home for the day.

And option 3 is 11c/unit cheaper.

> Does anyone have a reasonable explanation for why this is done?

It‘s cheaper. That’s all there is to it.

Automotive design is heavily influenced by bill—of-materials cost, there are committees upon committees deliberating and ultimately deciding on saving cents per unit.

Oddly enough that is the only thing I like about the ID models. I constantly roll down the rear windows on my VAG car when I enter car parks accidentally. On the ID.3 this does not happen, because I just never tap the mode switch button. Operating the rear windows is such an uncommon operation for me, that I really do not see the need.

Designers running rampant with no UX oversight combined with 'Hey it is cheaper'. Anything to look cool to the next buyer.

Probably a consultant like Munro told them that two buttons fewer is saving them $2 per car, they make million cars, so they’ve just saved them two million bucks, and "it looks cleaner".

I have come to read things like "it looks cleaner" or "it's minimalistic" as being a big red flag that the UI is awful.

Haha that video is actually insane... that the guy even had to call someone to get it explained to him. And that you can hold the touch-sensitive surface that doesn't look like a button at all until the "REAR" label on it blinks (which you can't see because it'll be under your fucking finger), and that means the switch (which one?) will control all 4 windows... what the actual fuck.

It’s the same stupidity on the latest top of the line Volvo XC90 as well. It feels like the designers have never driven a car.

"no modes"- Larry Tesler

touch buttons are cheaper and 3 buttons are cheaper than 4. They must have save a huge 1$ or something.

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