I like the way you ignore my people mover comment...
Convoluted? Maybe not but your thesis is hypothetical.
LHD-v-RHD
- Thread starter Jim J Fox
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Convoluted? Maybe not but your thesis is hypothetical.
Pushmi-Pullyu
Well-Known Member
Sliding controls to allow the driver to switch from left-hand to right-hand drive?
I'm not an auto engineer, nor even an engineer, but from the viewpoint of common sense I don't see how that would be physically possible. It did occur to me when thinking about why Tesla omitted the traditional instrument cluster from the Model 3 that it might be possible to make switching that from left to right easy, by having the cluster mounted in a pod that would be attached to the dash rather than being an integral part of it, so during manufacture that pod could be installed in either the left or right position. Seems like that pod could be mounted on a slide to allow it to shift from left to right.
But what about the driving controls? The accelerator and brake pedals, for instance. The positions of those are reversed in left- and right-hand drive cars, are they not? So even if it was mechanically possible to slide them from left to right inside the car, they would still be backwards in one position or the other. Switching those from left to right might possibly be accomplished by "unplugging" each pedal from its position and "plugging it in" on the opposite side, rather than sliding it over.
Likewise, if my understanding is correct, the left/right position of the stalks on the steering wheel are reversed for left-hand vs right-hand drive. Simply sliding the steering wheel over, even if that was possible, would result in those stalks being in the wrong place for those accustomed to the drive being on that side of the car. However, that's a minor enough change that I suppose at least some drivers would be willing to accept it.
An interesting engineering challenge would be to install both left-hand and right-hand driving controls in a car, with the unneeded set able to retract into the floor and/or dash, out of the way. I think that would be physically possible, especially with drive-by-wire controls, but it would certainly be more expensive!
Pushmi-Pullyu
Well-Known Member
Certainly people buy cars for emotional reasons at least as much as rational or practical ones, if that's what you mean. Often the decision is based more on emotion than logic or practicality. However, calling emotional decisions "wrong" is not very helpful. As you say, humans are not rational beings. We're not going to change human nature, at least not without some pretty extensive messing around with our DNA. Making people into entirely rational beings would be an enormous change, and certainly not an entirely good one! Imagine people without passion, without love, without creativity, without any appreciation for art, without desire... nah. Change us that much, and we'll no longer be human; more like emotionless robots. Gotta take the bad with the good, there.
Auto makers have to make cars that people want to buy (and/or persuade them that it's what they want thru advertising); they can't just tell people "You should buy this because Jim J Fox thinks you should!" You are entitled to your opinion about what car people should buy, Jim... but no more so than anyone else!
Of course 'sliding' would be impossible & I had also thought about 'plugging' controls either-or. Also that the conventional accelerator & brake could be steering wheel mounted- but who would accept that? Oddly enough in Australia the stalks are opposite to the European convention so you had to adapt- how often I activated the wipers instead of the indicators!
I don't recall saying emotional decisions were 'wrong' but rather not rational- as per the Bertrand Russell quote. Sometimes emotional decisions give you satisfaction, sometimes regret. And I certainly would not presume to tell people what they should do- that's the job of politics or religion.
Actually it was the central display panel in the Tesla that started me on this [somewhat crazy] idea of central driving, which is illogical- where would the panel go?! CD has been tried in the past, in what vehicles I don't know. Then it progressed to some sort of 'universal' design that would accommodate LHD/RHD switching. Damn these EV's, they give you all kinds of wacky ideas!
I don't recall saying emotional decisions were 'wrong' but rather not rational- as per the Bertrand Russell quote. Sometimes emotional decisions give you satisfaction, sometimes regret. And I certainly would not presume to tell people what they should do- that's the job of politics or religion.
Actually it was the central display panel in the Tesla that started me on this [somewhat crazy] idea of central driving, which is illogical- where would the panel go?! CD has been tried in the past, in what vehicles I don't know. Then it progressed to some sort of 'universal' design that would accommodate LHD/RHD switching. Damn these EV's, they give you all kinds of wacky ideas!