Volkswagen Move To Haptic Inputs From Physical Buttons A Mistake: CEO

Following customer feedback, Volkswagen AG VWAGY CEO, Thomas Schäfer, admits that the company’s decision to replace physical controls with haptic inputs was a mistake, Jalopnik reports.

What Went Wrong?

Many customers found the lack of physical controls in new Volkswagen models, like the GTI, frustrating. Changing settings such as climate control became difficult due to the use of non-backlit slide controls.

CEO’s Admission

Thomas Schäfer, Volkswagen’s CEO, acknowledged that the decision to abandon physical buttons “definitely did a lot of damage” to the brand. He admitted that the move led to frustrated customers, which the company is now working to rectify.

The Way Forward

According to Schäfer, the company has been systematically working on identifying the most frequently used functions in a vehicle and deciding which ones should be assigned to physical buttons and which ones should remain on the screen. He also mentioned that the upcoming Volkswagen ID.2 will showcase the results of this new approach.