2013 Tesla Model S dashboard display
The Tesla Model S is the first premium all-electric car built in the US. It won car of the year honors from both Motor Trend and Automobile magazines, and Consumer Reports called it the best car they have ever tested. But the main reason I’d like to get behind the wheel of this vehicle is the massive, 17-inch touchscreen display.
Automobile in-dash displays are traditionally the poster children of poor UX design. Tesla’s is the antidote — thoughtfully laid out with intuitive controls inspired by the best iPad apps. And most notably, clean typography. Gotham is not the most exciting typeface, but I can think of few better options for this display. It’s very clear, legible at a variety of sizes and weights, and just like the car: American made. I commend the company for looking beyond Helvetica and Eurostile, dashboard choices that are standard in the auto industry and certainly not stars of legibility. This is also a major improvement over the Arial Italic display of last year’s Model S.
Personally, when it comes to car controls, I’m a fan of big knobs. And maybe a touchscreen can never successfully replace the immediate accessibility of a tactile device. But this is the best attempt I’ve seen so far.
Now that Tesla has produced a dashboard this lovely, maybe they can rethink their ugly logo, conceived with the goofy “hi-tech” aesthetic typical of contemporary car brands.
The design of the digital dashboard in front of the steering wheel is consistent with the center console display.
11 Comments on “2013 Tesla Model S dashboard display”
The dash behind the wheel most definitely won’t be using Apple’s mapping system. The speedo dial is a little detailed at a glance, but I like the direction. Still, I prefer the dash concepts of the Marc Newson concept car.
“American made” with the entrepreneurial spirit of South African…
Wonder if they were aware of the Monotype study of in-car fonts.
To display an image inline with your comment it needs to be hosted somewhere on the internet. Click the image icon in the toolbar at the top of the comment entry field and enter the image source URL.
Notice attention to details. Very cool.
Love the use of a touch screen display being used here and the clear design/layout! Also gives greater control to the possibility of updating the display for personal preference/updates in future too.
OMG I love it! The best dashboard UI I have ever seen in a car! Not even the multi million super cars like Veyron or Reventon have such beauty inside!
I dont like it — looks clunky and that font is way over-used the last few years.
Tesla Model S is the future. We are waiting for the low cost version of Tesla…
Can a Tesla Model S dashboard be installed in a Chevy car?