Not the more screens, the better.

In the era of new energy vehicles, large screens have revolutionized the interior design of cars.

Many people have become accustomed to having a large screen in their car for navigation on the way to work and videos while charging. Car screens have become an integral part of our daily lives. It's not an exaggeration to say that, while the "big TV" doesn't fully represent the car, most new energy vehicle users find it hard to go back to using cars without large screens.

Surprisingly, people have been exploring the potential of cars for over a century.

Once the problem of transportation was solved, a new demand emerged, directly driving the development of in-car information systems, especially navigation and radio. People not only needed to get from point A to point B but also wanted to know their exact location and other information through screens or other visual means.

(Image from Tesla)

Today, both novice and experienced drivers rely heavily on the in-car system, highlighting its importance in automobiles and laying the foundation for the future development of large in-car screens.

As in-car functions become more advanced, the number and size of screens have increased, covering almost all aspects of our travel. So, how did in-car screens evolve from nothing to something and then to many, gradually changing the automobile industry over the past century? This is what we will discuss in this article.

In-car screens born for navigation

The automotive industry's exploration of in-car information systems predates display technology by far.

The earliest in-car information system can be traced back to 1910, not as a navigation system as we know it today, but as a car phone. It may seem useless now but can be considered the first step in the field of in-car systems. It wasn't until the 1920s to 1930s that cars truly had in-car radios and navigation systems in the true sense.

In 1930, an automatic navigation system called "Iter Avto" was born, with a display size of 5-7 inches. It achieved basic navigation capabilities through a scrollable map linked to the car's speedometer. At a time when there were no artificial satellites or display screen technology, the emergence of this automatic navigation system was nothing short of magical.

In the 1970s, Honda developed a new generation of automatic navigation systems, consisting of a helium gyroscope and a 16-bit computer, with a form factor closer to a screen. However, due to its high price, only 200 units were sold before it was quickly withdrawn from the market.

It was not until the late 1970s that display screen technology began to enter the automotive industry. The 1979 Aston Martin Lagonda was the first to be equipped with an LED instrument panel. Due to the high cost of LEDs, Aston Martin switched to cathode ray tube screens, the same display technology used in old TVs, starting from 1984.

In the following years, in-car display technology evolved alongside automobiles but was mainly found in luxury models such as the Buick Riviera, Toyota Crown, Mazda Eunos Cosmo, and BMW 7 Series, all of which adopted the most advanced color displays of the time, significantly improving display quality and technological appeal.

Until the explosion of new energy vehicles, screens were used by automakers to differentiate between high-end and low-end cars. Moreover, the in-car system and vehicle control were two separate systems; the former was only used for navigation, streaming media playback, etc.

The in-car screen underwent a transformation in 2012 when Tesla launched the first-generation Model S, equipped with a 17-inch display. Besides meeting users' growing entertainment needs and providing better navigation, it also integrated most vehicle control functions, with touch interaction replacing physical buttons. Just like the initial iPhone, this novel screen interaction had a significant impact on button-operated feature phones at the time.

New energy vehicles use a new electronic and electrical architecture, allowing vehicle functions to be controlled based on software. At the same time, to save costs, the number of buttons has been reduced, making screens increasingly important.

From this point on, the in-car system evolved again, prompting automakers to introduce large screens into cars. The race for screens has become a unique feature of new energy vehicles. Additionally, automakers have also tried to apply display technologies other than LCD in cars, such as the more advanced OLED.

(Image from Dianchetong Photography)

Domestic newcomers carry forward the "big TV" trend

Different brands and models have vastly different screen configurations. Some have a single screen that handles everything, while others have multiple screens with specialized functions.

Li Auto is undoubtedly the representative of the "refrigerator, sofa, big TV" concept. The high-end versions of L7/8/9 all come with three large screens, covering the driver's area, front passenger's area, and rear cabin area, supporting cross-screen media content transfer. At first glance, it may seem like just a few screens put together, but each has its design focus and division of labor, with no interference between them.

Strictly speaking, this screen combination has few distinctive features but excels in practicality, offering an outstanding viewing and interactive experience, making it popular among families with multiple children. In the eyes of users, it is still the core competitiveness of Li Auto cars, making it difficult to go back once experienced. The L8 even won first place in the 2023 China New Energy Vehicle User Satisfaction Survey conducted by the China Quality Association.

The imitation by competitors also proves the correctness of Li Auto's "big TV" concept. To date, products such as NIO ET7, Weilai ES8, and Geely Preface have, to varying degrees, drawn inspiration from Li Auto's in-car screen design.

(Image from Voyah)

Other models like the Geely Silver Galaxy E8, NIO ET5, and Cadillac Lyriq have innovative screen forms and interactions, but none may be the ultimate answer. The industry still favors conventional screen solutions similar to Tesla's. It is likely that NIO's upcoming NT3.0 platform models will also adopt mainstream screen designs.

A good experience is universal. The market has selected the more ideal form of in-car screens, and automakers have not forgotten their core task - information presentation. However, as their size and number increase, screens take on heavier responsibilities.

Many car users believe that large in-car screens are a double-edged sword, bringing benefits but also creating issues.

Bigger is not always better for in-car screens

With the advent of the large screen era in automobiles, car interior design has become simpler. Previously scattered functional buttons have been integrated into one screen, and voice assistants can quickly locate functions.

Due to their larger size and higher resolution, the "primary duties" of navigation and entertainment on in-car screens have become more enjoyable. We now have a larger display area for lane-level navigation, can watch HD videos or even play games in the car, something unimaginable before.

Indeed, not only have in-car screens become larger, but the entire connected cockpit system has undergone a qualitative leap in intelligence compared to traditional cars and has been accepted by the market. From this perspective, large screens have successfully transformed cars, and more and more consumers are optimistic about car intelligence and large screens.

However, some "conservatives" view the evolution of in-car screens and functions as too radical. Automakers need to carefully consider the relationship between physical buttons and large screens, which may sacrifice some convenience and increase the learning curve.

There is no standard answer for in-car systems. Automakers can define the size of in-car screens and system interfaces based on their own understandings. As a result, we can see various non-standardized interaction logics in different cars. For those accustomed to traditional button interaction, the technological feel brought by large screens can be a burden.

Considering the aesthetics of the in-car interface, automakers generally do not present all car functions in the primary menu. Many system-level settings are hidden in secondary or deeper menus, with inconsistent icon designs and different interaction logics for each brand.

Moreover, unlike traditional buttons, large in-car screens do not provide direct physical feedback. In emergencies, they cannot be operated immediately, and voice assistants add unnecessary steps, making them less efficient than buttons.

Based on years of test drive experience, it is not easy to master large in-car screens. It takes at least half an hour to get a rough understanding of the in-car system when first using a new car. Tesla and Geely's more radical designs, such as removing physical levers and using screens for gear shifting, put innovation ahead of practicality.

Additionally, many older users worry that the brightness of in-car screens may affect driving, especially in low-light scenarios like garages and tunnels, where the screens can be glaring.

(Image from Letao)

Another issue is that while in-car screens are large, the home screen mostly displays wallpapers and 3D models, wasting display space. In their view, aesthetics takes precedence over practicality. In terms of information presentation on the home screen, Dianchetong subjectively believes that new forces like Tesla and Li Auto do a better job, prioritizing map and vehicle status display, with some in-car systems also offering customization options.

The development of large in-car screens has reached a relatively fixed form, with optimized interaction efficiency. It can only be said that the speed of evolution of in-car screens is indeed fast, making many conservative users who prioritize reliability and stability feel helpless and unwilling to accept new cars. However, automakers and relevant departments have become aware of the hidden dangers behind the "mindless pursuit of large screens," leading to a slowdown in the evolution of large in-car screens as the industry begins to prioritize practicality.

Cars' "big TVs" should not compete with buttons for functionality

From scratch to abundance, from navigation and entertainment to touch interaction centers, in-car screens have evolved, with intelligence and large screens becoming mainstream.

According to data from Gao Gong Intelligent Automobile, the installation rate of center control screens larger than 10 inches was 32.59% in 2020. By 2023, this figure had risen to 92.4%. Global shipments of automotive display panels in the first-fit market reached approximately 210 million units in 2023, an increase of about 7% from 2022.

Display technology is indeed the current trend in automotive development, greatly enhancing the technological feel of the car cabin. However, whether to integrate all physical buttons into screens has been a focus of industry debate.

As mentioned above, many functions that were previously accessible with a single button are now integrated into the car's screen, reducing operational efficiency and requiring users to spend more time and attention on the screen, posing a safety hazard.

Overly aggressive designs can also harm existing user groups. For example, Volkswagen executives have admitted that emphasizing touchscreen strategies has caused significant damage to the brand. Additionally, Hyundai Motor executives have stated that focus group tests have revealed that people feel anxious, irritable, and even angry when they cannot quickly find and control the necessary functions in emergencies.

Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi Automobile, emphasized that one should not follow Tesla's all-touch approach and that physical buttons must be retained. Therefore, the Xiaomi SU7 comes with a set of physical control buttons and retains necessary adjustment buttons on the center console. Yes, more and more automakers are noticing the necessity of physical buttons and are "retrofitting" them, such as ZEEKR's inclusion of a set of necessary physical interactions in the ZEEKR 007X.

The current challenge for large in-car screens is not the screens themselves but rather the sacrifice of essential automotive configurations for the sake of screens. The coexistence of buttons and screens, without blindly pursuing so-called technological appeal, indicates that the automotive industry has become "sober."

It should be said that the future of large in-car screens is not to completely replace physical buttons. Dianchetong believes there is no need for them to compete. Large screens have more potential in the future. Kevin Kelly, hailed as the father of the Silicon Valley spirit, predicted at the 2014 Telematics China Conference that the car would be the "fourth space" after the home, office, and café. The "big TV" should carry more than just the original capabilities of the car.

(Image from Dianchetong Photography)

Large screens still have much potential for development, with human-computer interaction efficiency remaining a key focus. The interaction efficiency mentioned by Dianchetong does not refer to physical buttons but rather leveraging the display advantages of large screens to achieve effects that traditional cars cannot match, such as multi-device interconnectivity.

Information presentation is a bonus for large screens. The concept of information flow between devices has gained significant attention in recent years. With software ecosystems shared between cars and phones, cars can take over navigation, music, and even running applications from phones. Examples include Star Realm's Boundless Cockpit, Huawei's HarmonyOS Intelligent Cockpit, and Xiaomi's Pengpai Cockpit.

From functionality to intelligence, large in-car screens have ushered in their 3.0 era, with evolution continuing. More advanced and three-dimensional display technologies such as AR-HUD are emerging. When will the next era of "big TVs" arrive?

Source: Leitech