I’m driving a press car right now with no rear window and a giant touchscreen for its controls. It sucks. I do not like it. You know who agrees with me? The guy who designed the iPhone. So that’s something.
The Morning Dump is all about access today. If you can’t access your route while driving, that’s annoying, but if you can’t access your door while trapped in a sinking car, that’s potentially fatal. A bill to make it easier to find your way out of the car just advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ford is the last of the Detroit 2.5 to report its annual earnings, which were weak in spite of stronger sales. Some of that was due to a surprise $900 million tariff bill. You know what’s also a surprise? A Škoda to end TMD. Just kidding, you probably all expected it.
The Guy Responsible For Your Smartphone Addiction Says Touchscreens Are Wrong For Cars
There were a lot of feelings in the comments over the new Ferrari interior design, which was penned by former Apple design guru and iPhone legend Jony Ive. I conceptually enjoy this interior abstractly, though I’m not sure I love it as a Ferrari as much as Brian did. Either way, it looks good.
Ive has been out talking to the press, and this quote in Autocar caught my eye:
“The reason we developed touch [for the iPhone] was that we were developing an idea to solve a problem. The big idea was to develop a general-purpose interface that could be a calculator, could be a typewriter, could be a camera, rather than having physical buttons.
“I never would have used touch in a car [for the main controls]. It is something I would never have dreamed of doing because it requires you to look [away from the road]. So that’s just the wrong technology to be the primary interface.”
Asked how the Luce’s touchscreen differs from others, given his comments, Ive replied: “So much of what we did was so that you could use it intuitively, enjoy it and use it safely.
It’s true, though, there are too many interfaces where you have to do everything on a touchscreen. This is the Tesla approach, and it’s been copied by way too many people. I just had to duck through a few menus on a trip yesterday in order to get the vents on my Polestar to stop driving air into my eyeballs.
I also love the idea here that Ive discusses about having different buttons feel different, so that it’s obvious what you’re touching. Even in cars without a touchscreen, the variety of surfaces and styles isn’t always prioritized.
Not only should automakers bring back more buttons and reduce screens, but they should also give time to make all sorts of different fun buttons to use. It’s what entertains toddlers and, frankly, automotive journalists.
The SAFE Exit Act Moves Forward
The space between a bill being written and becoming a law is vast, so I don’t cover every law that’s written. One I do care about is the Securing Accessible Functional Emergency Exit Act, or SAFE Exit Act.
It asks for two things:
‘‘(1) a power independent, easy-to-find manual release for each door providing occupant egress, which shall be intuitive to use and readily accessible for the occupant; and
‘‘(2) means for emergency responder access to the occupant compartment when vehicle electrical power is lost.
As I’ve written before, people are waking up to the idea that maybe making it hard to find the mechanical exit for a vehicle was slightly flawed. This bill would help solve this issue and, at least, has moved through its first legislative hurdle and should get a vote in full committee.
Let’s see who kills it first!
Ford Got A Surprise $900 Million Tariff Bill To End The Year
Ford released its full-year earnings, and the numbers aren’t incredible. This isn’t a shock as the company already announced it would take various write-downs on special times. The company did improve its market share in the United States, but it relied heavily on incentives and had to spend money to cover various challenges, just like every other automaker.
Here’s the topline:
- Fourth-quarter and full-year revenue reached $45.9 billion and $187.3 billion,
respectively; fifth consecutive year of full-year revenue growth - Fourth-quarter and full-year net loss of $11.1 billion and $8.2 billion, respectively, reflected impact of special items; fourth-quarter and full-year adjusted EBIT of $1.0 billion and $6.8 billion, respectively
- Full-year operating cash flow was $21.3 billion; adjusted free cash flow was $3.5 billion
- Outlook for full-year 2026 includes adjusted EBIT of $8.0 billion to $10.0 billion, adjusted FCF of $5.0 billion to $6.0 billion; and capital spending of $9.5 billion to $10.5 billion
Not great, not terrible, and the company thinks it’s in a position to improve its margins and earnings in 2026, which is good. The fact that warranty costs are coming down is also a good sign.
Here’s something fun, though, that Bloomberg caught in the earnings call:
The Trump administration informed Ford on Dec. 23 that the company could only apply a measure to trim tariffs paid on imported auto parts dating back to November, rather than May, Chief Financial Officer Sherry House told reporters alongside the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report late Tuesday.
The change effectively doubled Ford’s tariff toll to $2 billion in 2025, she said, a level the company expects to face again this year.
What’s $900 million between friends?
The Škoda Epiq Will Be the Company’s Cheapest EV
The Epiq isn’t a car we’re going to get in the United States, and with its 273-mile WLTP range, it’s not like something that would necessarily appeal to many. It’s an MEB+ platform, FWD-only “City SUV” that’ll allow the brand to reach more customers at the lower end of the market in Europe.
Because it hasn’t been released, the company put out these photos of the vehicle in camo. What … what even is this camo? Are those pills? It’s unhinged, but I love it.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
I have performatively mixed feelings about Weezer’s album Pinkerton, when, in reality, I adored it at the time and still enjoy it. Not everything holds up, but “The Good Life” somehow makes dude complains about going to Harvard rock.
The Big Question
What’s the most tactile button, knob, or switch on any car?
Years and years ago when I was a teenage boy and therefore really into car stereos, Kenwood marketed a stereo (also ham radios) with a series of physical buttons against the bottom of the screen, with the button labels displayed just above on the screen. The button function would change depending on the need, with the label changing on the screen… but they were still physical buttons. This seems like a hybrid option that could work in many car interior situations.
My personal pet peeve as LCD screens and larger and larger aftermarket stereo screens became all the rave was a rotating knob for the volume control. Had to have that, I hated the tiny volume up and volume down buttons. Gotta have a knob!
I had a recent Kia rental that had physical buttons with tiny screens on them so the button label could change. That could work too. Touchscreen only, though. That’s dumb.
Also… if you absolutely insist on touch screens, its imperative there is some sort of finger rest lip/ledge/something along the bottom of the screen. Its impossible to use a touchscreen with any accuracy in a moving car without being able to brace a thumb or finger against a rigid something.
Nothing beats a good stalk though.
No love for the Choke knob? Pull it out to run rich, ease it back in when warmed up to run lean. Oops you forgot and used way too much gas! No matter, you share the car with your sister, say nothing and let her have to go gas it up…. Oh no she did that to you first, now you’re out of gas.
I’m starting to realize why nobody misses the Choke knob.
I rigged an aftermarket choke knob and cable to the throttle on my Hilux for redneck cruise control.
Other problems. The iphone had to be a touchscreen since you could’nt put and navigate all the fucntions with buttons, and have a large screen on something the size of the phone. This was the MAIN reason for the touchscreen. This is a non issue on almost every car.
Just the fact there is a SAFE Act bill being proposed should tell us that ‘disrupters’ are taking car design in the wrong direction.
Those sliders for the HVAC controls on many entry-level 80s/90s cars. Very satisfying to use, and honestly probably worked better than a lot of the early (and even modern) climate control systems.
Yup, the sliders on my ’96 Legacy are very nice to use. I’d also vote for the stalks for lights and wipers as nicely tactile
The most tactile switch?
The floor mounted, left foot operated dimmer switch found in many (all?) cars in the 60’s. Maybe earlier than that, and maybe later. I don’t recall when that function moved to a stalk.
Actuation of those switches was very tactile. And satisfying, to the point I’ve considered adding one to every car I’ve owned since. I just never wanted to sort out the wiring.
Re. the big question, if you’re asking about the most tactile control in a specific car: 1970s and 1980s Mercedes had the most intense headlight control knob I’ve ever handled. It’s the largest single control in the whole car, almost the size of a kitchen stove knob. It’s off to the side near the driver side door, by itself, away from the others controls. Operating it requires actual physical strength.
I don’t know why they designed it that way, but it was standard across many models and years (my ’78 and ’88 MBs use the same hardware), and it’s Germanically serious.
And then there’s the foot-actuated parking brake pedal. Those are VERY tactile and muscular.
> What’s the most tactile button, knob, or switch on any car?
The volume control, tied with the AC or ventilation control.
The air vent directional controller.
Intuitive, multidirectionally adjustable, and it also has immediate feedback for readjustment.
My Alfa has nice toggle switches for the blower fan and wipers, but the most tactile control is the ratcheting handbrake.
The most tactile button, knob, or switch?
A non synchro transmission on an old truck with all the shifter bushings worn out. Simultaneously like stirring koolaid, and having your teeth shaken loose via your wrist.
For those of us that use them, the turn signal stalk.
Some brands like BMW don’t even come with turn signals.
The most tactile knob is obvious as demonstrated by Bad Bunny during the Superbowl halftime show.
“What’s the most tactile button, knob, or switch on any car?”
Manual window crank.