Why no HUD? (On any Tesla?)

[alan auerbach]

I always expected my next car (or vehicle) would be electric and have a head-up display.
After watching Tesla and determining that I wanted one, I was surprised there was no HUD option. Even worse, the display is offset, forcing you to look away from the road for any information.
Now the Ctbertruck was announcedand ticked a lot of boxes for me as well as promising lots of great features I hadn’t realized I wanted. But still no HUD. I wonder how difficult this would be to add?

Even if it only showed speed, odometer and range remaining...

Agree. I've maintained from the outset that Tesla needs to hire -- and listen to -- a good ergonomist (human factors engineer).

I hope that the production and electronic engineers have finished showing off that they can put everything onto a central screen, and provide the CT with more intuitively obvious controls and displays.

I always expected my next car (or vehicle) would be electric and have a head-up display.
After watching Tesla and determining that I wanted one, I was surprised there was no HUD option. Even worse, the display is offset, forcing you to look away from the road for any information.
Now the Ctbertruck was announcedand ticked a lot of boxes for me as well as promising lots of great features I hadn’t realized I wanted. But still no HUD. I wonder how difficult this would be to add?

Even if it only showed speed, odometer and range remaining...

Agree. I've maintained from the outset that Tesla needs to hire -- and listen to -- a good ergonomist (human factors engineer).

I hope that the production and electronic engineers have finished showing off that they can put everything onto a central screen, and provide the CT with intuitively obvious controls and displays.

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[Dids]

HUD is DEFINITELY not a gimmick! I'm over 50. After having perfect vision my entire life, I need readers to read anything on my dash now. Far sight is fine. But, the HUD on my 2013 Camaro Convertible, perfectly clear even when I put the convertible top down in noon bright sun complete clarity for my vision! Even with UV rated sunglasses. No readers necessary. I never have to look away from the road. I have my speed, compass, outside temp, music info too. It's best thing since sliced bread. The fact That Mr. Musk has dismissed them so heavily is insanity. No special films necessary for what came with my car. I don't have to bob my head around like a goofy bird trying to see around the steering wheel to tell how fast I'm going either. I'm honestly not interested in the CyberTruck if there isn't something this useful to me. The trucks design, while very appealing in its practicality, is not worth the cost for all the other things that really aren't the main reason I'd buy a new vehicle or an EV.

You are over 50 and drive a camaro? But seriously just because your eyes are pointing at the road does not mean that you will be quicker to see something happening. Every time your attention shifts things can happen in plain sight that you will never notice.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

HUD is DEFINITELY not a gimmick! I'm over 50. After having perfect vision my entire life, I need readers to read anything on my dash now. Far sight is fine. But, the HUD on my 2013 Camaro Convertible, perfectly clear even when I put the convertible top down in noon bright sun complete clarity for my vision! Even with UV rated sunglasses. No readers necessary. I never have to look away from the road. I have my speed, compass, outside temp, music info too. It's best thing since sliced bread. The fact That Mr. Musk has dismissed them so heavily is insanity. No special films necessary for what came with my car. I don't have to bob my head around like a goofy bird trying to see around the steering wheel to tell how fast I'm going either. I'm honestly not interested in the CyberTruck if there isn't something this useful to me. The trucks design, while very appealing in its practicality, is not worth the cost for all the other things that really aren't the main reason I'd buy a new vehicle or an EV.

This comes up every month or so. You can be almost certain that there will be no HUD or side mirrors with blind spot indicators (or lots of dials and buttons) on any Teslas. Musk/Tesla have a vision of the future where our involvement in driving becomes less and less until we are simply passengers and their cars are designed that way. HUD goes the other way. I am not saying that those features are bad as, as a lifelong driver, I think they provide great value. But I never expect to see any of them in a Cybertruck. Ford, GM, etc will probably have them, especially considering how poor their ADAS systems are, so you should have a choice.

 

[Revoltlution]

"Best part is no part, best process is no process"
E.M.

 

[Dusty]

. . . our involvement in driving becomes less and less until we are simply passengers and their cars are designed that way. HUD goes the other way. . .

Agreed. Essentially, he (Tesla) wants to disincentivize manually driving, so 'nonessential' manual driving aids are moved to a secondary location by design.

I'm sure there's an app that will allow your phone to display vehicle info when placed atop the dash.

Found it.

 

[Crissa]

Tesla allows third-party products to interface with their cars.

Perhaps HUDs will be something someone makes that you can add on later.

-Crissa

 

[CyberGus]

There are 3rd-party HUDs and readouts that can interface to most cars, with some even Tesla-specific.

I've only driven a Tesla a few times (M3P) but the lack of a speedometer was driving me nuts. "You'll get used to it" sure, but this old dog has enough new tricks to learn already.

I love the central display, but I'd prefer to also have an instrument cluster in my CT, as in the Model S. But there was no such display in the prototype, so I may end up installing one.

 

[Dusty]

As a "tinkerer" I wouldn't be averse to having a simple screen mounted (non-destructively) on that big dashtop to be a windshield HUD. As long as I could find a screen that's relatively heat resistant at around $80, it would be simple to replace after a year or two of sun exposure. The screen can run to a raspberry pi hidden elsewhere out of sight and you'd have a 7-10 inch HUD that powers off when you get out.

 

[KewlToyZ]

Agreed. Essentially, he (Tesla) wants to disincentivize manually driving, so 'nonessential' manual driving aids are moved to a secondary location by design.

I'm sure there's an app that will allow your phone to display vehicle info when placed atop the dash.

Found it.

That's all wrong and is the obvious distraction. It's actually misleading in the center like that.
I keep mine at the lowest area of my windscreen. It works. Nothing the opposition keeps stating makes any real world sense. I use the HUD in it's best way. If you hate it fine don't use it. But, I'm if it isn't available, the rest of the gimmicks aren't going to make my life that much better. So yes I am going to have to look elsewhere for my next vehicle and I'm disappointed with Tesla.

 

[KewlToyZ]

This comes up every month or so. You can be almost certain that there will be no HUD or side mirrors with blind spot indicators (or lots of dials and buttons) on any Teslas. Musk/Tesla have a vision of the future where our involvement in driving becomes less and less until we are simply passengers and their cars are designed that way. HUD goes the other way. I am not saying that those features are bad as, as a lifelong driver, I think they provide great value. But I never expect to see any of them in a Cybertruck. Ford, GM, etc will probably have them, especially considering how poor their ADAS systems are, so you should have a choice.

The display screens instead of mirrors seems like a neat idea. I just don't know how useful the depth perception and spacial reasoning is going to be with them. It would be interesting if I can vary the viewing angle from 90-120 degrees viewing field. Also if the lensing can adjust the focal point of the display making it easier to adjust to my vision.
Something else that really works are side lights that turn on with a turn signal. In bad weather, rain, snow, fog, they are a huge benefit. Especially if the windows have any tint. Not having them is assuming everything is a well lit city street. Real world this is never the case.

 

[KewlToyZ]

You are over 50 and drive a camaro? But seriously just because your eyes are pointing at the road does not mean that you will be quicker to see something happening. Every time your attention shifts things can happen in plain sight that you will never notice.

Hey I never claimed my Camaro Convertible isn't my midlife crisis on wheels. It's got plenty of issues too. The entertainment system is the worst thing ever. I've never cursed and been so distracted by such a useless piece of technology crap in my life. I put MP3's on a USB stick and pick a playlist. That's all it does reasonably well. Even then it screws up each time I start the car, I have to painstakingly coax it to play before I start driving. If it screws up I turn it off. Lot's of blind spots with the top up too. But man does it drive awesome with the top down. Like a power boat on land. And everyone loves seeing it. Much safer than being on a motorbike too. I was considering a bike again. Some friends have let me take a spin on theirs a few times. I get into it too much and drive too fast like I used to. Also, the roads and drivers today make street bikes too risk averse and not the thrill it once was for me.
That video is fun to play games with perception. In the real world things do happen in a blink of an eye. But let's face it. Taxis don't magically turn into cargo vans. I never read my cell phone when driving. Ever! Nothing is that important. When I drive a semi, I'm pissed at the sheer staggering volume of people typing away in their cars screwing up traffic patterns and obliviously rude road manners. Literally on their steering wheel in car, driving too slow in the left lane speeding up slowing down 10-15 mph like absolutely senseless mentally challenged schizoids. Being parked, the center screen is a nifty gimmick. Driving, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

 

[uff_da]

There are 3rd-party HUDs and readouts that can interface to most cars, with some even Tesla-specific.

I've only driven a Tesla a few times (M3P) but the lack of a speedometer was driving me nuts. "You'll get used to it" sure, but this old dog has enough new tricks to learn already.

I love the central display, but I'd prefer to also have an instrument cluster in my CT, as in the Model S. But there was no such display in the prototype, so I may end up installing one.

I thought the reason for the Yoke was so you can see the driver screen on the Model S... so the CT is going to have a Yoke and no screen. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Now the only "reason" for the Yoke is that FSD will do more driving some day. It still seems dumb to me that the best use cases for the Yoke is the same use case for FSD/Autopilot: highway driving. I want my wheel for off road, backing up a trailer, and edge case scenarios where FSD will be less useful. At least give us a 2nd screen if we have to take the Yoke.

 

[KewlToyZ]

It's really a simple useful piece of technology

Photography on a cell phone isn't going to convey how easy it is to use and the clarity of it. It's not distracting when placed right either.

 

[alan auerbach]

To apply some ergonomist-speak to Tesla, the machine communicates with the operator through a multi-function visual display. Fine. Just please explain why that display is located some 60 degrees to the driver's side rather than closer to the line of sight.

If it were moved to directly in front of the driver, there could be various interferences, but why so far to the side? Is it in the center to facilitate the design of right-hand-drive models?

 

[Dids]

It's really a simple useful piece of technology

Photography on a cell phone isn't going to convey how easy it is to use and the clarity of it. It's not distracting when placed right either.

How useful is it to know you are parked? How useful is it to know that u are facing southwest? Do you really need to know that it's 109 degrees and if it changes to 100 degrees that information should be known immediately. If you put the car into drive and the speedometer is showing 20mph is it necessary to check if you are in drive? Seriously the only info that is immediately useful is the speedometer and even that is completely useless in traffic as you will either be passing traffic.... ergo faster than the speed limit or being passed... ergo slower than the speed limit. With no traffic where you would need to monitor speed is it faster to shift your attention to the glowing number on the windshield or to a glowing number right below it? Science says it does not speed up by putting a number in your line of sight. At night you are actually negatively impacted by the glowing number as the projected light must necessarily be brighter than ambient and prevents night adaption. In other words you are less safe with it than without it.

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