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I’m not sure it’s comparable. There’s a lot of information you need to keep an eye on when flying. Speed, altitude, attitude, coordination, heading, position, etc. Lose track of any of those and you can get behind the airplane and crash. In a car, you sorta need to know your speed, and that’s it. Even speed is not entirely necessary. In an ICE car you also might want to keep an eye on engine RPM, oil temperature, and other such things, but you don’t need them in an EV If all your instruments go out in an airplane, it’s an emergency. Depending on the aircraft type and situation, it may mean certain death. If it happens in a car... I’m not convinced most drivers would even notice. Those who do would only be mildly inconvenienced at worst. Edit: here’s an example of an airplane with side by side seating and a central instrument panel: https://www.pipistrel-usa.com/taurus/. Gliders are much more car-like in their instrumentation needs, although they still need a bit more, and losing them all is still an emergency. |
I have the feeling safety would be an issue if I was fumbling around for the defroster menu item in the mountains rather than having it at hand when my windshield was rapidly fogging up--in any vehicle. (Ask me about my trip to Laramie, WY last week.) Driving off a cliff would be a bad day, too. What about the battery overheating indicator? I would rather that be in front of me too in an electric car. A chime could help in this situation, but what if people where honking at you while seeing smoke coming from your vehicle?
BTW, did you notice the redundant mechanical instrument cluster in the Cessna Mustang (located above the display with the map)--another design element that increases safety if you have a primary display failure...