I think Tesla tapped into something with their simplified vehicle interface. But in my opinion, it is too minimalistic. There is a concept called "graceful degradation" which is not implemented here. That means if the display goes out, you don't lose your entire interface. So put a few strategic gauges and knobs on there and your system will have better redundancy. That area where the gauge cluster would go is just wasted space.

They require, for the most part, taking my eyes off the road even if only for a few seconds. A lot can happen in a few seconds at 70 mph.

The audio system in my Nissan Sentra is a touch screen, but some of the controls like volume and changing station presets are duplicated on the steering wheel and there is a volume knob near the touchscreen itself. Showing what station you are on is also shown on the instrument cluster between the tachometer and speedometer.

You need a right seat driver to help you navigate the menus.

Nothing can be done with these touch screens without searching through several layers.

Back in the old days you could work your radio and watch the road.

And get off my lawn....

I suspect that voice input would be the least distracting if it worked.

Cue kids screaming “Are we there yet?”

Elon wants direct connection to the brain (with wires, a bespoke experiment at U.C. Davis ended horribly for animals, I previously reported.) and in his case, I’d gladly raise the voltage.

All of that said, have you noticed that a great many of the “miracle” tech developments are simply mind-bogglingly complex replacements for what humans used to do, like my chauffeur who quit and the butler who takes care of my clothes and does the shopping. NOT

Some, like the cell phone, do beat the daylights out of a marathon runner to convey messages to distant friends and family.

Oh well.