An Evaluation of Tesla’s Model 3 Infotainment System
Tesla, a name synonymous with electric vehicle innovation in today’s society. They have what some would consider a cult following with people who swear by their vehicles. The reason behind that following: The sheer volume of tech that comes within a Tesla. One of the more impressive technology features in a Tesla from today is their infotainment system in the Model 3.
How well does this system work based on user needs for the vehicle? What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses? All these questions will be answered below.
First, let’s understand the purpose of the infotainment system within the Model 3. As you can see from the picture, it is the centerpiece of the interior, the only screen and only interface on the dashboard. There is no gauge cluster as the driving data such as speed, charge level and gear are all contained within the screen. In the figure below, you can see the system orients driver data towards the driver’s side, in this case it is a US spec Model 3, therefore data is on the left.
It has many different functions such as navigation, vehicle settings, system status, Netflix, games, music, and many others. It is an all in one, conglomerate system that simplifies the vehicle for users.
In terms of its strengths, this infotainment system has numerous ones that cannot be found in any other vehicle on the road today. For example, the streaming service Netflix can be used through the infotainment system, playing TV shows and movies while the vehicle is stationary. Games can also be played on the system; one game even uses the steering wheel as the controller for the game.
Despite being able to play Netflix and allow users to play games, the system will not allow users to access these features while the car is being driven for obvious safety reasons. The ability to see the system status always displayed on the screen is a big strength of the system. It can tell the user how long until the vehicle is fully charged for example. Its minimalistic design is another advantage, having everything contained into one screen simplifies the system for a good user experience. The interface design, with the ability to split the screen, and how the system keeps the driving data split off to the side of the user is another advantage. Its intelligent navigation system is a very strong advantage as it can plan trips with charging station stops along the way and show live traffic data so users can avoid traffic jams that may cause them to be late. In the picture below, the system plans for Supercharger use, one of Tesla’s own charging stations, on the driver’s planned route to their destination.
There is also a web browser contained within the system as well. There are also various cameras spread across the outside of the car that can be displayed on the screen, helping users avoid unsafe scenarios or to see things they normally would be unable to see. The vehicle can also recognize objects nearby using sensors and relay that feedback on the driver info portion of the screen. It can even read if stoplights are red or green and show the speed limit of the road on the screen. Another strong advantage of the system is its ability to constantly be updated over the air even after the vehicle has been purchased. Netflix was not an original feature of the car, but later came with a software update. The customization contained within the system is another advantage, whether it be changing the sound of the horn or what lights flash when the car locks or even how the air comes out of the vents in the dashboard, there are so many levels of personalization in the vehicle. The advantages of this system are numerous and are even more impressive when compared to other new vehicles available today at comparative prices.
There are certainly disadvantages with this system despite the large of amount of advantages. Most glaring of these disadvantages is the lack of a gauge cluster or some sort of heads up display that puts speed and other relevant driver info in front of the driver. With the current state of the system, drivers must turn their head to screen to read their speed, see where to turn from the navigation, check for nearby objects from the sensor or look at the cameras. Turning their head makes reacting to what is happening on the road much harder, putting them more at risk for an accident or other sort of incident such as running a read light. A solution would be to implement a digital gauge cluster behind the steering wheel to display the relevant driver info, so all the driver must do is look down. It would look somewhat like the current Tesla Model S interior shown below:
Another disadvantage of the system is the lack of tactile buttons. One important thing for a driver is to not have to take their eyes off the road but if they want to mess with the climate control or turn down the volume of the music, they have to look at the screen to see where to touch. This problem could be solved with some buttons, as Tesla’s focus is on a minimalist interior but in a vehicle, where driver attentiveness is extremely important, buttons are necessary for a safe vehicle. It is also lacking the smartphone integration applications CarPlay and Android Auto that most users are becoming accustomed to in new vehicles. This leaves Tesla behind the eightball in compatibility but could easily be integrated with one of their over the air updates. Another odd and small disadvantage is the glovebox is open on the screen, there is no button or handle to open it which is somewhat odd as most closeable compartments in vehicles come with a handle or physical button to open them. In the future they should look to change from the screen to a physical button for the glovebox.
For a brief comparison, another electric vehicle, the Jaguar I-Pace’s infotainment system will be put up against Tesla’s. For reference here is what Jaguar’s looks like:
Now to start, the screen is much smaller in comparison to Tesla’s and is also lacking in the features department as well. It cannot play games or play Netflix like Tesla can. It can show nearby charging stations, system status, navigation and other basic functions that would be expected for this vehicle. Despite lacking in overall features compared to Tesla’s system, the Jaguar does have quite a few advantages over the Tesla. It has a digital gauge cluster in front of the driver, physical buttons for various functions and makes use of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for increased compatibility for users. These are known disadvantages of Tesla’s system, so it makes for a good alternative to Tesla. Considering these advantages, the Tesla still reigns supreme as there are so many small functional features that it has over the Jaguar. The intelligent navigation system, the sensor system for showing nearby objects, personalization and many other small features are just a few examples of what the Tesla can do that the Jaguar cannot.
When it comes to fulfilling user needs the Model 3’s infotainment system does a wonderful job and contains many small features that increase convenience and personalization for the user. Some of the design decisions put the user at more risk, like the disadvantage of no digital gauge cluster in front of the driver, but this system is mostly advantageous for users. It has also received great reviews and impressed many with the sheer volume of features it has that other new vehicles on the market do not.
Overall, it is a wonderful system and an amazing innovation that Tesla will most likely continue to innovate on in their future vehicles. Hopefully they take the disadvantages of this current system and find ways to implement solutions as user experience is essential to ensuring strong sales of any vehicle. For what the system is intended to do, it goes above and beyond that giving users a system that is part personal computer, part gaming system, part tv and part normal vehicle infotainment all in one. I personally am excited to see Tesla continue to innovate and cannot see what new features become available on their next infotainment system.
References
https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-reviews/tesla-model-3-tech-review
https://www.pocket-lint.com/cars/news/tesla/149573-tesla-model-3-interior-and-infotainment-tech
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021-jaguar-i-pace-infotainment-upgrades-charging/
