Why even have a "Start" button??!?

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HoustonFlier

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
57
Location
6000ft and climbing!
Reading about the clutter of the dash panel in this sub-index made me comment that it was too complex for what is fundamentally simple form of transportation, and a though of "What would the late Steve Jobs design?"

Internal Combustion cars need a starter motor to get the engine running so one can drive.
IC's also need periodic maintenance involving changing oil and plugs, emission inspection, and a few related items.

Some IC cars have a NFR, or Fob, to let you know you are in car, so the key was replaced by Start button.

Weeeell
EV's do not need a starter motor, so why have a Start button??

I have the key fob, get in car, move the Shift Puck to Drive, and off I go.

Yes, the Shift Puck is THE "Start" button.
(Or use the "P" button inside of it as the start/stop button.)


Steve Jobs changed everything with the iPhone. It is an incredibly easy device to use, yet infinitely more powerful then a basic cell phone. The same can be done with the EV, if only you think outside the gas guzzling box.

(PS, don't own an EV, yet. Test drove Leaf twice. My other half (wife) not convinced about it, yet.)
 
... and how would you put it in accessory mode? How about a button to do that? Maybe we could even use the same button to turn the car on and off? ;)
 
What would stop a kid from putting it in drive? The brake pedal+start is a good safety feature for that.

I believe the Tesla Model S doesn't have a start button but starts when you buckle your seat belt. I could be wrong about that though.
 
cdub said:
What would stop a kid from putting it in drive? The brake pedal+start is a good safety feature for that.

I believe the Tesla Model S doesn't have a start button but starts when you buckle your seat belt. I could be wrong about that though.

Not having the key fob would prevent him from putting it in drive, just like now.
 
mynameisjim said:
How would you turn the car off in your design?
Stoaty said:
... and how would you put it in accessory mode? How about a button to do that? Maybe we could even use the same button to turn the car on and off? ;)
EVDRIVER said:
Because you need a way to open and close the main contractor in the pack.

The answer to all 3 question I put in my OP:
The Shifter is the Start button.

To go to Accessory Mode, driver slides puck it into Neutral, but wheels locked.

Person (with FOB in range) steps on break pedal and moves shifter to D or R.

And to go Off, push the "P" button in center of Puck.

...and move shifter toward dash, so no one will accidentally move it.

EV's are the future of cars, should be easy to use.
 
cdub said:
What would stop a kid from putting it in drive? The brake pedal+start is a good safety feature for that.

Kid's know how to start anything. What is on the control of every XBOX, PS, or Windows computer?
A "Start" button.

The LAST thing you want is to make it obvious to kid how to start the car!
 
i like the start button and the sound that I selected.
it makes me smile.
:mrgreen:

maybe you need to be without it, as I was for 6 weeks, you would be so happy to be back in the EV groove you would stop picking at the lint.
 
HoustonFlier said:
The Shifter is the Start button.

You do have a point.. I would go even further and get rid of the shifter with a series of big chromed pushbutton on the dashboard.. you push them and they stay down, like the station select buttons in old car radios. Obviously you would need the keyfob or input your pin number on the radio. Put it on the steering wheel if you want to complicate things.

List of buttons:

1. Off (any other button will turn power on)
2. Accessory
3. Park (could be combined with Accessory but might not be legal)
4. Reverse
5. Neutral
6. Drive
7. L1 (eco with medium regen)
8. L2 (eco with high regen, for those that like to drive with one pedal)

This has simplicity, and good visual and tactile feedback.
 
Herm said:
HoustonFlier said:
The Shifter is the Start button.

You do have a point.. I would go even further and get rid of the shifter with a series of big chromed pushbutton on the dashboard.. you push them and they stay down, like the station select buttons in old car radios. Obviously you would need the keyfob or input your pin number on the radio. Put it on the steering wheel if you want to complicate things.

List of buttons:

1. Off (any other button will turn power on)
2. Accessory
3. Park (could be combined with Accessory but might not be legal)
4. Reverse
5. Neutral
6. Drive
7. L1 (eco with medium regen)
8. L2 (eco with high regen, for those that like to drive with one pedal)

This has simplicity, and good visual and tactile feedback.

This has been done on EVs before, it was abandoned for many reasons. The present system makes sense, the LEAF is not the first EV and this is not the first time this has been hashed out over and over by EV owners and OEMs. This is yet another thread that will go in circles right back to conclusions already made in the past. The future is not buttons its voice and advanced recognition telematics.
 
EVDRIVER said:
This has been done on EVs before, it was abandoned for many reasons. The present system makes sense, the LEAF is not the first EV and this is not the first time this has been hashed out over and over by EV owners and OEMs. This is yet another thread that will go in circles right back to conclusions already made in the past. The future is not buttons its voice and advanced recognition telematics.

Yes, voice and facial.

Don't really want to go that far. Imagine if you have acne outbreak and laryngitis! :lol:
 
Seems to me that Nissan wanted the LEAF to have relatively the same look, feel, and usability as an typical ICE vehicle. That's likely why it has a start button.
 
mynameisjim said:
There are times where I select park but I don't want the car to turn off, so having park as the off button wouldn't be acceptable to some customers.

Ideas

1. Double tap Park, once to disengage drive, and other to Stop.
or
2. Set Parking brake
or
3. Move shifter to NEUTRAL.
 
ENIAC said:
Seems to me that Nissan wanted the LEAF to have relatively the same look, feel, and usability as an typical ICE vehicle. That's likely why it has a start button.

Their is no "standard" for operating ICE's, and history has quite a few variations of doing things, so little out of reason for an EV.

In a very simplistic way, look at a golf cart. Do people have a hard time learning to drive that?
 
I like it just as it is because it doesn't require any intuition or rub your head while you pat your stomach machinations..

HoustonFlier said:
mynameisjim said:
There are times where I select park but I don't want the car to turn off, so having park as the off button wouldn't be acceptable to some customers.
Ideas
1. Double tap Park, once to disengage drive, and other to Stop.
or
2. Set Parking brake
or
3. Move shifter to NEUTRAL.
 
TomT said:
I like it just as it is because it doesn't require any intuition or rub your head while you pat your stomach machinations..

HoustonFlier said:
mynameisjim said:
There are times where I select park but I don't want the car to turn off, so having park as the off button wouldn't be acceptable to some customers.
Ideas
1. Double tap Park, once to disengage drive, and other to Stop.
or
2. Set Parking brake
or
3. Move shifter to NEUTRAL.

IMHO that what it feels like now.

FoB in hand (or safely located next to your jewels ;) ), push Start, Step on brake, move puck right, move puck in to D or R.
 
HoustonFlier said:
IMHO that what it feels like now.

FoB in hand (or safely located next to your jewels ;) ), push Start, Step on brake, move puck right, move puck in to D or R.

How is this any different from any other automatic vehicle?

FoB in hand (or safely located net to your jewels ;) *unless you have the older key style*, push start *unless as aforementioned key style*, Step on brake, move shifter down and left or right (depends on style), move shifter into D or R.
 
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