Volkswagen is bringing back physical buttons to all its vehicles after pivoting to touch screens in recent years. In an interview with Autocar, Andreas Mindt, design chief at the German auto giant, called the decision to remove these buttons “a mistake.”
“From the ID 2all onwards, we will have physical buttons for the five most important functions – the volume, the heating on each side of the car, the fans and the hazard light – below the screen,” he explained, adding: “It’s not a phone: it’s a car.”
However, not the radio station selection buttons, which are a must.
This doesn’t mean touch screens are set to disappear on new Volkswagens, just that drivers will now have the option of physical controls for their most used day-to-day tasks. The new controls are set to make their debut in the ID.2all, a small, budget EV set to debut in Europe.
Last year, Hyundai promised to keep physical controls for its important functions, like volume adjustments and air conditioning, with its head of design highlighting the safety benefits of having an easy-to-use physical button.
In 2022, a study by Swedish car magazine Vi Bilägare found that drivers were better able to perform simple tasks like tuning the radio to a specific channel or raising the car temperature using old-school buttons.
Source: Volkswagen to Bring Back Physical Buttons to All Vehicles | PCMag
I guess it’s a start. And only 10 or 15 years late.
Robin Edgar
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