Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, criticized Tesla for its technology and user interface during a CNBCinterview, claiming the automaker has degraded the driving experience with recent interior changes.
Steve Wozniak criticizes Tesla’s user interface
Wozniak, who had previously praised his Model S, expressed his discontent, stating, “Coming from Apple, the user interface, the way you deal with technology, is the most important thing in the world to me. And Tesla is the worst in the world at that.” He noted that every modification made to Tesla’s systems has resulted in a poorer user interface, declaring, “It got worse and worse and worse. And now it is just miserable for user interface.”
He highlighted the frustrations stemming from the frequent changes within the system, indicating that critical features are not consistently accessible. “Where to find the time of day changes depending on what [driving] mode you’re in,” Wozniak said, pointing out that buttons designed for selecting favorite channels do not function properly with satellite radio. He remarked, “It takes so many tries to hit one button in your jiggly car, and it just doesn’t work.”
System design challenges
Tesla is recognized as a pioneer in integrating touchscreens into vehicles, replacing the traditional knobs and switches with a singular, sleek interface capable of evolving through software updates. A Tesla user stated, “Why have buttons when you have a screen?” appreciating the modern aesthetic and the seamless capability to modify controls via updates. However, Wozniak criticized the approach, arguing that it leads to confusion regarding the functionality of screen options. He stated, “The modes hide things that aren’t there, and your finger knows how to get them. Nothing makes sense in that car, intuitively.”
Wozniak shared an incident involving his wife, who was stopped by a police officer after failing to signal a turn while driving. He described the unfamiliarity of the yoke steering wheel to the officer, emphasizing that it is challenging to locate the turn signal buttons while turning. A significant point of contention arose when the police officer requested the driver’s insurance information, which most drivers typically retrieve from the glove compartment.
As Wozniak detailed, “It’s kind of a new Tesla, with new software–[and] there’s no button for the glove box. You have to go and search in menus until you stumble into finding it—it’s horrible.”
Featured image credit: Bram Van Oost/Unsplash
