In recent years, car manufacturers have been putting a lot of effort into improving their infotainment systems and overall car technology, making for a sleeker interior and a more modern driving experience. Unfortunately, this often means that many controls, including those for climate, are moved onto the touchscreen.
Usually, this is problematic. I’m not completely against digital climate controls, but I do oppose poorly designed versions that require multiple taps to make adjustments. It’s not just inconvenient, but also dangerous, as it forces drivers to take their eyes off the road to activate the air conditioning, instead of simply reaching for a dial that can be adjusted without looking.
That said, some companies are getting digital climate controls right.
For digital climate controls to be effective, they need to be user-friendly and require as few interactions as possible to make adjustments. This also means these controls should be easily accessible on the screen at all times, even when using systems like CarPlay and Android Auto. Physical controls don’t disappear when software changes, so why should digital ones?
One major issue is that adjusting the car’s temperature often involves multiple controls—fan speed, temperature, and vent selection—plus extras like windshield defogging and seat heaters or coolers.
Not many companies have nailed this yet, but Range Rover seems to be on the right track. In a Range Rover, you just swipe up or down on any screen to change the temperature. Controls for both the driver and passenger are conveniently located on their respective sides of the screen.
However, even Range Rover can improve. It’s easy to change the temperature, but if you want to adjust fan speed or vent selection, you still need to tap around a bit. Prioritizing temperature adjustments makes sense, but drivers frequently need to adjust fan speed too. Thankfully, there are quick buttons for essential functions like the windshield defogger.
Of course, this technology is still fairly new for car companies, many of which continue to develop poorly designed software. In fairness, most cars now have “automatic” climate modes that let you set a preferred temperature and forget about it. While many drivers still prefer manual adjustments, these auto modes are improving at automatically adjusting temperature and fan speed for a more comfortable interior.
Let’s be realistic—the move towards modern car interiors is here to stay, and buttons and dials are likely on their way out. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but hopefully, automakers will focus on creating controls that are easier to use, more intuitive, and safer before overhauling systems that aren’t broken.