Tesla Inc TSLA is always pushing to improve its vehicles in ways never seen before. Earlier this week, we saw the first video showing how to change gears on the refresh Tesla Model S, which no longer has a traditional gear selection stalk like most other vehicles.
Tesla hopes that most of the time the car can intelligently select which gear you want, but if the driver wants something different, forward, reverse, or neutral can easily be selected on the screen.
Just like with Tesla's yoke steering wheel, some were concerned this new gear selection method wouldn't be allowed due to federal regulations. But in a statement to The Verge, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed the touchscreen-based controls violate no rules. NHTSA also confirmed Tesla certified compliance for all safety standards.
Quote from NHTSA:
A properly configured transmission shift control operated by means of a touch screen interface would not violate federal motor vehicle safety standards. Also, Tesla has certified compliance with all applicable safety standards. At this time, there are no known compliance concerns related to the shift control configuration.
Although unconfirmed, pictures of the new interior make it seem gear selection is also possible from a button on the steering wheel. It seems customers may have a choice in whether they want to change gears on-screen or with a physical button. In either case, Tesla's goal is that most of the time the car should handle gear switching with no input from the driver.
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Photo courtesy of Tesla.
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