Volkswagen CEO says fixes coming for infotainment, contact management points

The brand new boss of the Volkswagen model has already signed the loss of life warrant for its controversial steering switchgear, and now he’s addressing another tech grievances.

Thomas Schäfer, who grew to become the model’s CEO in July, says he’s working to resolve points with Volkswagen’s infotainment techniques and touch-capacitive switchgear.

“On this rush to create these automobiles to be fast off the mark and so forth, the staff had provide you with completely different concepts,” he instructed CAR.

“We all know what we have to do. We’ve acquired suggestions from clients, we’ve suggestions from clinics and from journalists… They are saying, ‘You already know this isn’t good. You’ve acquired to enhance this.’”

The contact slider for the local weather controls on fashions just like the Volkswagen Golf and ID.4, which perplexingly lacks illumination, will likely be mounted promptly.

“One of many criticisms was the slider capabilities weren’t illuminated, so that you didn’t know they had been there at evening time. That’s mounted now and it’s coming subsequent yr. They are going to be all illuminated,” mentioned Mr Schäfer

He acknowledged errors had been made with the corporate’s infotainment techniques, with the latest-generation MIB3 system criticised for lag, bugs and useability points.

Software program updates will likely be rolled out as early as this yr, with {hardware} upgrades to be put in inside the subsequent 18 months.

“The brand new 3.0 software program is coming now… The {hardware} modifications will come via from early 2024. [Revised] steering wheels are from subsequent yr, the brand new Tiguan would be the begin,” mentioned Mr Schäfer.

He promised the brand new techniques will likely be quicker, boast extra options, and have extra frequent over-the-air updates obtainable.

Mr Schäfer revealed the issues with the model’s infotainment had been so unhealthy the board has been assembly month-to-month to observe progress.

“The [technical] staff places collectively mock-ups and we sit down and take a look at them. We are able to say: ‘This doesn’t actually work. Who the hell did this? Subsequent!’ In case you don’t try this, you’ll be able to take the fallacious choices,” mentioned Mr Schäfer.

The corporate is doing common clinics with random folks unaffiliated with Volkswagen to find out how folks discover capabilities

“To start with they will need to have clear tips and clear logic behind it. After which as soon as the staff has it inside these boundaries, you’ll be able to velocity up the method and never at all times try to reinvent the wheel and put the hazard gentle swap within the center, then on the highest after which some place else… It’s truly fairly easy,” he mentioned.

“In case you hear rigorously you discover out what you must and shouldn’t do.

“We are saying ‘What are the highest 10 capabilities that clients at all times want?’ We put them on the primary degree in exhausting buttons. Then on the subsequent 20 capabilities, the place will we put them? We put some logic into it. After which maintain it the bloody similar. Don’t change it round!”

He conceded the model has, over the previous few years, created confusion in its automobiles by transferring important switchgear round and being inconsistent throughout fashions.

Volkswagen isn’t the one model to maneuver away from touch-capacitive switchgear.

Basic Motors and Ford embraced touch-capacitive switchgear within the early/mid-2010s however started to section it out after receiving criticism from house owners.

Ford’s luxurious model Lincoln started introducing touch-capacitive controls for capabilities like local weather management in 2011, however by 2013 it introduced it was returning to buttons for these capabilities.