Tesla appears to be changing the Model S and X updates to allow all forward/reverse gear selection to be controlled from the touch display. A tweet by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley showcases an interface where users can drag a small car icon up to move forward and down to move backward.

The video introducing this has already drawn concern from the automotive industry. Tesla has been fighting the button for some time now. The Model S is scheduled for a major overhaul for the 2021 model year, with a different screen design and a somewhat controversial yoke-like steering wheel.

In addition to its shrunken wheel, it also lacks a control stalk, leaving the traditional gearshift for changing the car's direction in older cars. Since Tesla electric cars have only one forward gear, this gear is only activated when the car is parked.

In January, Elon Musk tweeted that the new Model S (and possibly the updated Model X) would mostly decide for itself which direction you are going. In that tweet he said The car will guess the direction you are going based on obstacles, conditions, and the nav map. It can be overridden by a touch screen."

All of this seems highly controversial, perhaps only because more traditional automakers would never consider such a thing. For Tesla, however, they tend not to do things just because they have always done so. So why not display the shift on the touchscreen? It's never used except when the car is at a complete stop anyway.

Controls like turn signals and the horn remain available from the steering wheel via small touch controls. Perhaps things will change before the launch. Especially since different countries may have their own laws about how to control gears in a car.

Of course, there is always the possibility that the touchscreen could break, leaving you with few options for direction of travel. If this happens, perhaps it would be best to follow what the car wants and call Tesla to discuss convincing it to go into reverse.

Source Autoblog [15]