Why no HUD? (On any Tesla?)

[Gvardaman]

I always expected my next car (or vehicle) would be electric and have a head-up display.
After watching Tesla and determining that I wanted one, I was surprised there was no HUD option. Even worse, the display is offset, forcing you to look away from the road for any information.
Now the Ctbertruck was announcedand ticked a lot of boxes for me as well as promising lots of great features I hadn’t realized I wanted. But still no HUD. I wonder how difficult this would be to add?

Even if it only showed speed, odometer and range remaining...

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[Crissa]

Even if it only showed speed, odometer and range remaining...

Well, because they're tricky to make match expectations, I think.

You can buy add-ons that do this.

-Crissa

 

[BillyGee]

It's because they require a flat screen to reflect off.

However, the cybertruck will have a giant flat piece of glass to reflect things off of, so maybe we'll see something like that.

 

[Dids]

Because heads up displays are a gimmick. They are harder to read than a dashboard display with increased focal time ( it takes longer to look at a hud than it takes to glance at a dashboard display and report the information displayed), I worked for Army RDEC and participated in studies on subject. They require brightness greater than ambient hindering eye dark adaptation, even in the day time they are at a brightness that causes eye adaption making the rest of the view dimmer. They distract attention, while providing low relevance information, how often do you really need to know your speed? For that you end up with a constant speed display in your relevant field.
These shortcomings can be overcome. For focal time focal length can be lengthen nearer to relevant field but that makes the information look like it's on the car in front of you and it gets lost.
For brightness the field can be rapidly darkened like 3d tv shutter glasses, highly impractical for a large windshield and causes other issues for anything other than straight on visibility.
For distracted driving... Only display relevant information... Use an AI to decide relevance?

The end result was that vehicle hud did not improve driving experience and did not improve driver situational awareness.

 

[Gvardaman]

Well okay then!
Thanks for sharing your insight!

 

[Dids]

Mic drop I guess? Lol, wasn't my intention.

 

[ajdelange]

It's because they require a flat screen to reflect off.

No they don't. Surely you have seen one of those curved shaving mirrors or the curved mirrors that are put at the corners of aisles in warehouses, at blind intersections etc.

However, the cybertruck will have a giant flat piece of glass to reflect things off of, so maybe we'll see something like that.

The rules of optics have to be followed so where you put the image that gets reflected from the glass depends on the angle (and curvature, if any) of the windscreen and where the observer (driver) sits. Thus there may, or may not, be problems stemming from those considerations but I think the real answer is the same as the one to the question "Why don't computer manufacturers supply any documentation with their machines?" The answer is that they don't have to in order to sell them.

As to the offset display: I had a 3 (loaner) for about a week and didn't find the offset display to be a problem.

 

[azjohn]

HUDs are not needed, its a very short learning curve and I had it mastered within 45 secs, besides speed there isn't anything else you need to monitor with an EV especially when you have voice activation

 

[MEDICALJMP]

Like so many things it isn’t about a NEED. I would like HUD to help keep my attention on the road and not switch focus from near to far. The older we get the less elastic our eye muscle become and focusing takes longer. Most useful when following GPS directions.

Do I NEED HUD? No, I do very well without it. Do I WANT HUD? Yes. The previous thread asked for our wishlist of features and this one was highly requested. Nobody needed the smart phone until Steve Jobs convinced us we needed it. Now everybody needs a smart phone. Nobody needed automatic transmissions....

I have driven the 3 and did not find the offset screen difficult to use.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

I always expected my next car (or behicle) would be electric and have a head-up display.
After watching Tesla and determining that I wanted one, I was surprised there was no HUD option. Even worse, the display is offset, forcing you to look away from the road for any information.
Now the Ctbertruck was announcedand ticked a lot of boxes for me as well as promising lots of great features I hadn’t realized I wanted. But still no HUD. I wonder how difficult this would be to add?

Even if it only showed speed, odometer and range remaining...

I always expected my next car (or behicle) would be electric and have a head-up display.
After watching Tesla and determining that I wanted one, I was surprised there was no HUD option. Even worse, the display is offset, forcing you to look away from the road for any information.
Now the Ctbertruck was announcedand ticked a lot of boxes for me as well as promising lots of great features I hadn’t realized I wanted. But still no HUD. I wonder how difficult this would be to add?

Even if it only showed speed, odometer and range remaining...

I know this is an old thread but I just re-save it and wanted to offer a thought. Tesla is all about autonomy. They haven’t built HUDs or nice side mirrors with blind spot warnings for a reason; they want the car to do the driving, not us. And they just released a beta of FSD! Maybe it is a wasted effort to build these things and they want to focus their energies on what isn’t a waste of time. At least, that is how I choose to see it.

 

[firsttruck]

I know this is an old thread but I just re-save it and wanted to offer a thought. Tesla is all about autonomy. They haven’t built HUDs or nice side mirrors with blind spot warnings for a reason; they want the car to do the driving, not us. And they just released a beta of FSD! Maybe it is a wasted effort to build these things and they want to focus their energies on what isn’t a waste of time. At least, that is how I choose to see it.

But Tesla does not need to invent HUD. There are plenty of examples & suppliers.
HUD should at least be standard on Dual motor & Tri-motor.

 

[FutureBoy]

But Tesla does not need to invent HUD. There are plenty of examples & suppliers.
HUD should at least be standard on Dual motor & Tri-motor.

But HUD is one of those features that has both a strong following and a strong dislike crowd. I’m one of those who thinks the HUD idea is interesting and cool but once I had used it a bit in a different car, I actually found it distracting and ultimately annoying.

All the more power to those that like having a HUD. But I definitely don’t want it on my truck. Seems like something that should be optional in my book.

I’m finding that there are a number of features that people talk about that I think should be optional. I certainly hope that Tesla does not preclude the use of these possible options, but I do think they should be options and not standard.

 

[firsttruck]

But HUD is one of those features that has both a strong following and a strong dislike crowd. I’m one of those who thinks the HUD idea is interesting and cool but once I had used it a bit in a different car, I actually found it distracting and ultimately annoying.

All the more power to those that like having a HUD. But I definitely don’t want it on my truck. Seems like something that should be optional in my book.

I’m finding that there are a number of features that people talk about that I think should be optional. I certainly hope that Tesla does not preclude the use of these possible options, but I do think they should be options and not standard.

Sure it should have an option for it to be turned off.
To make a good HUD for Cybertruck it needs to be done by Tesla because need access to control signals in the vehicle.

I think Elon has a lot of great ideas but requiring driver to use a center mounted tablet is NOT one. I have been driving for over 40 years without running into anyone. I have been rear-ended and sideswiped several times. Twice hospitalized. I keep by eyes on the road ahead, glimpse the sides & rear view mirror. That is how I know what is going on and never hit anybody and have even avoided some that would have hit me. I even lost a girlfriend at an instant moment becauae she blocked my view at a critical moment as a pedestian appeared at risk of entering my path. Ex-girlfriend and many people take driving too lightly. I think this is a serious activity when 2-ton vehicle is at speed near unprotected humans.

Driver should use steering wheel, instrument cluster, optional HUD, and optional voice commands (A/C, heater, music, etc).
NOT a touch tablet in center that encourage people to take eyes of road

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

Sure it should have an option for it to be turned off.
To make a good HUD for Cybertruck it needs to be done by Tesla because need access to control signals in the vehicle.

I think Elon has a lot of great ideas but requiring driver to use a center mounted tablet is NOT one. I have been driving for over 40 years without running into anyone. I have been rear-ended and sideswiped several times. Twice hospitalized. I keep by eyes on the road ahead, glimpse the sides & rear view mirror. That is how I know what is going on and never hit anybody and have even avoided some that would have hit me. I even lost a girlfriend at an instant moment becauae she blocked my view at a critical moment as a pedestian appeared at risk of entering my path. Ex-girlfriend and many people take driving too lightly. I think this is a serious activity when 2-ton vehicle is at speed near unprotected humans.

Driver should use steering wheel, instrument cluster, optional HUD, and optional voice commands (A/C, heater, music, etc).
NOT a touch tablet in center that encourage people to take eyes of road

Of course, they have all those things except the HUD. I am not saying that I am for or against the thing, only wondering out loud why Tesla hasn’t done it.

 

[VI Tesla]

Sure it should have an option for it to be turned off.
To make a good HUD for Cybertruck it needs to be done by Tesla because need access to control signals in the vehicle.

I think Elon has a lot of great ideas but requiring driver to use a center mounted tablet is NOT one. I have been driving for over 40 years without running into anyone. I have been rear-ended and sideswiped several times. Twice hospitalized. I keep by eyes on the road ahead, glimpse the sides & rear view mirror. That is how I know what is going on and never hit anybody and have even avoided some that would have hit me. I even lost a girlfriend at an instant moment becauae she blocked my view at a critical moment as a pedestian appeared at risk of entering my path. Ex-girlfriend and many people take driving too lightly. I think this is a serious activity when 2-ton vehicle is at speed near unprotected humans.

Driver should use steering wheel, instrument cluster, optional HUD, and optional voice commands (A/C, heater, music, etc).
NOT a touch tablet in center that encourage people to take eyes of road

Very sorry for your loss and unfortunate accidents.
This is why FSD is so important. Once out of beta and beyond, all vehicles will have this and there will not be the unfortunate losses of life, or much much lower. The computer does not get distracted and drives .... responsibly for lack of better term?
I too thought HUD would be nice to have, but I have to accede to Dids' first hand knowledge and can see how it may be distracting and problematic.
My wife has a M3 and I don't find glancing at center screen any different to glancing down at the speedo in my current truck.