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Tesla Model 3's Touchscreen Controls Explained in Six Minutes

There's no question the infotainment display in all modern cars is the centerpiece of their dashboard, but nowhere is that truer than in the new Tesla Model 3.
Tesla Model 3 Infotainment system explained 1 photo
Photo: YouTube screenshot
The electric sedan has controversially done away with any other controls, cramming everything into that very large touchscreen planted right in the middle. Apart from the two knobs on the steering wheel - which are not pretty, but very functional - and the two stalks each side of the column, you'll be hard-pressed to find another controlling device inside the Model 3.

After the busy designs from Porsche or Opel, which had more buttons than a six-year-old knows how to count to, clearing up the dashboard has been a trend for a while, but it's been done progressively. Tesla, on the other hand, went all-in.

If you look at the Models S and X, you'll see that they are in fact just as devoid of buttons. The real change brought by the Model 3, the one that disrupts the notion we have about what a car dashboard should look like, is the removal of the air vents. That allowed the designers to shape the panel whatever way they saw fit, and this loungy feel is what they came up with.

On the other hand, touchscreens are famously bereft of any haptic feedback, meaning you can never know if you've just turned the AC or the seat heating on without looking because the display is just as flat and smooth wherever you press it. In terms of ergonomics, it's a nightmare, and obtaining visual confirmation means taking your eyes off the road, which can turn into a whole different kind of nightmare.

We obviously can't take somebody else's word for it - and not because we don't trust them, but because opinions may vary - but Joseph from OCDetailing (you met him a few days ago) seems to think Tesla has got things right.

After giving us a thorough walkthrough on the vehicle's physical bits, he is now presenting the central display and all that lies beyond it in great detail. Watch the clip if you have any reservations about how the system works and hopefully they will be answered.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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