EV Stupidity Checklist
Modern electric cars are criticized for adopting “futuristic” design choices—like retractable and electronic door handles, motorized charge-port doors, touchscreen-only controls, and camera-based mirrors—that can be less safe, less reliable, and harder to use than traditional mechanical alternatives. Commenters note that many of these trends originate with Tesla and are now spreading across the industry, often for cost-cutting or styling and aerodynamics, even though some EV and non-EV models still retain conventional switches, mirrors, and simple HVAC controls that many drivers prefer.
Scope of the “EV Stupidity” Problems
- Many commenters argue the checklist mostly targets modern car UX trends, not EV-specific traits.
- Design issues (screens, capacitive controls, powered doors, camera mirrors) also appear in ICE cars, exotics, and luxury models.
- EVs get more of this because buyers are seen as “tech-forward” and Tesla’s influence is strong.
Physical vs Touch Controls & Presets
- Strong support for physical controls for lights, HVAC, drive selection, and hazard switches.
- Touchscreen-mediated basics are seen as fragile, distracting, and update-prone.
- Some note that digital mediation enables powerful driver profiles; others respond that presets existed long before touchscreens and don’t require removing buttons.
Mirrors vs Cameras
- Backup cameras widely praised as a safety boon for reversing and parking.
- Strong resistance to replacing rear/side mirrors with camera-only systems.
- Concerns: depth perception, focal accommodation for older eyes, failure in salt/mud/rain, added failure modes, and inability to “move your head” to change viewpoint.
- Some say modern cameras offer vastly better coverage and that resistance is mostly habit.
Electronic Door Handles, Locks, and Charge Ports
- Deep concern about electronic-only door releases, especially in crashes or fires; referenced incidents where occupants were trapped.
- Mechanical overrides are seen as essential; some point to regulatory constraints (e.g., child locks) affecting rear doors.
- Powered charge-port doors and screen-only glovebox releases are viewed as unjustified complexity.
Glass Roofs
- Polarized reactions: some love the light and “airy” feel; others hate heat, cold, fracture risk, and hail vulnerability.
- Complaints that some EVs make glass roofs mandatory or tie them to critical options (e.g., heat pump).
- One argument: glass roofs enable lower roof height and better aerodynamics, improving range.
Climate Control Behavior
- Many want simple, predictable fan and vent behavior; auto systems are seen as fussy and mismatched to rapidly changing in-car conditions.
- Others claim they set a temperature and never touch it, expressing confusion at constant fiddling.
Standards, Safety, and Model Examples
- Calls for regulation/standardization of core controls, mirrors, and lighting.
- Several EV models are cited as largely meeting the checklist with conventional controls.
- Desire for robust separation of critical systems from infotainment and for added sensors (ultrasonic, lidar) alongside cameras.