In today’s episode we discuss how we arrived at this position of Touchscreen tech craziness and what the future holds for touchscreens in cars! Car manufacturers have been moving more and more internal functionality from physical switchgear to touchscreens such that this is now severely impacting driving safety. Euro NCAP, the automotive safety industry body for Europe, is introducing new guidance for 2026 which means that five important tasks in every car will have to be performed by actual buttons instead of by accessing a screen. The following functions will have to be controlled by proper switches in order for cars to be granted Euro NCAP’s coveted five star safety from 2026 onwards… - Indicators - Hazard warning lights - Windscreen wipers - Horn - SOS features. Technology in cars has been a constant concern of mine since their arrival in the 2000s due to their crazy safety implications seemingly ignored by car manufacturers! I’d be interested in your views…Let me know your thoughts on these increasing crazy levels of Technology in cars in the comments below...
Technology is no problem, the issue is burying functions in touchscreens. Climate, seat position, volume, gear selector, drive modes are key things that need buttons or dials that become instinctive to use. I hope you are right about a trend back away from menus to buttons and dials. There’s a reason I drive an F12 and not a 296 or a Roma…….
I own a Tesla Model 3 Performance as well as a Ferrari 599 GTB and two F12s. I am content with the daily driving ease of the Model 3. The 599 and F12 are exciting beyond words every time.
Tesla are taking it to a tangential extreme: new Model 3 does not have steering wheel stalks - turn signals and windshield wipers and headlights are all buttons on the steering wheel…
I drive a VW id3, never again, the software is a disgrace, promised updates only went so far and now I heard recently that there'll be no more major updates....... Mazda seem to be the only car manufacturer to be doing it right, we just need proper radio controls and it would be perfect.
