Thursday, March 13, 2025

VW to Bring Back Physical Buttons to All Vehicles

The German car giant's lead designer called the move away from physical buttons in favor of touch screens 'a mistake.'

Posted by LampLighter at 07:33 PM | 20 COMMENTS | permalink

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Volkswagen is the latest carmaker to announce the return of physical buttons. We're making progress.

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-- Paris Marx (@parismarx.com) March 9, 2025 at 3:56 PM

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More from the article ...

... 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."

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. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-03-10 09:02 PM

Touch screens on cars don't work when you're driving.

#2 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-03-10 09:39 PM

@#2 ... Touch screens on cars don't work when you're driving. ...

yup.

That's what I have been saying for years.

In my car, (that is old enough to have physical buttons) I can raise or lower the volume of the radio, or even change the track of the CD I may be blistering to, without taking my eyes off the road.

I have a memory of the placement of the buttons and which one to press to accomplish what I want, without having to take my eyes off the road.

With a touch screen, all that changes.

I have to look at the touch screen to see where the button is placed, because that placement can vary from one time to the next on the touch screen.

Major congrats to VW for making this major change towards road safety.


#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-03-10 10:17 PM

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.

So limited in scope, but still an improvement. I guess it would be impossible to have buttons for every function. :(
747-Cockpit-small

#4 | Posted by censored at 2025-03-10 10:28 PM

@#4 ...I guess it would be impossible to have buttons for every function. :( ...

I agree. Every possible function could not be represented by a button.

But that's not the issue here.

There cannot be a physical button for every possible function.

But there can be a physical button for the common functions used whilst driving.

That's the distinction I draw.

OK, I admit, I have an old car, 20+ years old.

All the control buttons are actual physical buttons. There's no "living room effect" in the car.

And i do note that all of the things I need to change by pressing put tons as I drive are available with the buttons.

Yeah, there are some other things that I need to press a combo of buttons to enter a menu and go from there, but those sort of preferences are just that, preferences.

Not operational controls.

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-03-10 10:47 PM

@#5

Ya know, sometimes spell check is not helpful at all ...

And i do note that all of the things I need to change by pressing put tons as I drive are available with the buttons.

--- should be ---

And I do note that all of the things I need to change by pressing buttons as I drive are available with the buttons.

Apologies for letting that one slp by.

#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-03-10 10:50 PM

Yes. Please. Limit the amount of computer controls on vehicles. Making them fairly universally repairable would also help a car company earn new clients

#7 | Posted by HeuristicGratis at 2025-03-12 03:49 PM

Are they going to make emissions tests great again?

#8 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2025-03-12 05:14 PM

One more thing that musk declared he knew best, and told his customers what they want. Just like the half steering wheel and turns signal buttons.

Just like government budget auditing.

#9 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2025-03-14 01:00 AM

@#8 ... Are they going to make emissions tests great again? ...

I still bring my car to emission testing every other year here in CT.

So, what is your current alias asking?


#10 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-03-14 01:12 AM

@#9 ... told his customers what they want. ...

Full Self Driving?

Wasn't Full Self Driving on the talking points list that was handed to Pres Trump for the Tesla commercial he acted in for Tesla Corp on White House property?

Snapshot ...
media.cnn.com

#11 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-03-14 01:18 AM

His current alias is referencing Volkswagen fudging the results of their emissions tests about 15 years ago or so.

#12 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-03-14 01:19 AM

Turdla went too far (turn signals need to be a stalk) but I'm a BIG fan of screens. It's silly that my car has redundant HVAC controls, it's wasted space that could have been used for a bigger screen.

The problem isn't the screens, screens are great. The problem is that we need more right to repair laws. There's no reason any owner or independent mechanic shouldn't be able to handle all repairs, but the car companies got greedy and locked down systems.

#4

Take a look at the Gulfstream 700 cockpit. I counted 15 screens including the heads up displays. It's still got some buttons and knobs, but lots of touchscreens in planes too now.

#13 | Posted by DarkVader at 2025-03-14 10:05 AM

I want the button that'll bring back Cousin Brucie in 1966.

#14 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2025-03-14 10:22 AM

I was joking with my wife last week that we should start a car company that sells cheap cars that are maximal manual processes to get rid of all the expensive electronics that are saturating current cars.

Bring back the physical buttons for most functions, proper keys and, in some models, manual transmissions.

#15 | Posted by jpw at 2025-03-14 11:15 AM

Take a look at the Gulfstream 700 cockpit. I counted 15 screens including the heads up displays. It's still got some buttons and knobs, but lots of touchscreens in planes too now.

#13 | Posted by DarkVader at 2025-03-14 10:05 AM | Reply | Flag:

Right below the knee area touchscreens are the handle with cursor controllers and buttons. Touch screens are ---- in turbulence.

#16 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2025-03-14 01:50 PM

Proprietary controls and automotive touch screens are one reason repair costs are exorbitant. Discrete serviceable components make more sense than multi thousand dollar integrated panels. Speaking from experience there is little intuitive about many of the multi level controls on cars such as newer outback.

#17 | Posted by Robson at 2025-03-14 10:22 PM

I'm assuming the new VW physical buttons will be plugged into he same CPU as the screens were (and still will be)?

#18 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-03-14 10:43 PM

Hot Damn! Mr. Robson has posted something I totally agree with. Will wonders never cease? I continue to drive a 30ish-year-old junker as at least I can still do my own maintenance/minor repairs. My neighbor bought one of those new Broncos last month, and while helping him drool over the engine compartment of his new ride, it took me a while to even find the oil dipstick.

#19 | Posted by dutch46 at 2025-03-14 11:34 PM

The only touch screen on my car is the radio, and it sucks.

#20 | Posted by snoofy at 2025-03-14 11:40 PM

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