Everything's On A Screen': Here's Why Scout's New Cars Will Have Good-Old Buttons

"Everything's computer, one man famously said earlier this year, referring to the interior of a Tesla Model S. While that saying quickly turned into a meme, there is some substance behind it. Despite cars becoming safer, quieter, faster and more technologically advanced, their interiors have become lifeless tablets on wheels, often lacking buttons that people can operate without taking their eyes off the road."

"It's all in the name of cost-cutting, despite automakers' efforts to wrap the transformation into something else. It might be cheaper to slap a screen on the dash and call it a day, but it can also be dangerous. That's why Europe's leading crash safety organization started deducting points for cars that don't have essential buttons, which leads to lower overall safety ratings."

"Everything's eight layers down. Everything's on a computer screen. Everyone in the car needs their own computer screen, Keogh said. But complaining about something doesn't really move the needle in the right direction. Especially when you're running a ahem car company. We think the exact opposite. We think mechanical switches give you a connection. We think less screens is better. We think bench seats are cool. We think tailgates are cool. We want to build this real, authentic connection, Keogh added during his Bloomberg interview."

Modern vehicle interiors have shifted toward large touchscreens, reducing physical buttons and tactile controls, which can increase driver distraction by forcing menu navigation. Cost-cutting often motivates replacing mechanical switches with screens, creating sterile, tablet-like cabins despite advances in vehicle safety and technology. Safety organizations in Europe have begun deducting points from safety ratings for cars lacking essential physical buttons. Scout Motors emphasizes reversing this trend by prioritizing mechanical switches, fewer screens, bench seats, and tactile materials to foster a more authentic driver connection and reduce reliance on deep, multilayered digital menus.

Read at insideevs.com