[jeffbee]

But by your own logic all they saved was, at most, $25 on a wiper switch, but they didn't really because the Tesla 3 already has a stalk on both sides, with all the associated labor. And, again according to your own evidence, they saved this tiny amount of money by doubling down on what is undoubtedly the most expensive component of the interior: the head unit and its display.

[pdabbadabba]

That's not how I read it. GP's #1 says that you're already saving $25 just looking at the cost of parts because the panel is about the same price as a traditional head unit and then there's the wiper switch. (Maybe you're right though, that they're not really saving on the switch.)

But then, #2, you factor in the cost savings associated with simplified manufacturing (which, as GP explains, goes well beyond just the wiper switch). This is what makes the panel approach much cheaper.

[jeffbee]

I'm just not seeing it. Flat panel display costs scales according to area. The Tesla 3 has a huge display. It surely costs a lot. And, Tesla isn't the kind of company that is either interested in or able to optimize for cost. They sell expensive cars and they lose a lot of money on them. They're also notorious for having ridiculously expensive assemblies, like the $2000 headlights of the Model S.

To me, the much more plausible aspect of the explanation is they think it looks cool/futuristic and their buyers are buying for reasons other than usability.

[pdabbadabba]

OK. But now it sounds like you're just disagreeing about the cost of the panel. That's fine. I certainly don't know how much the panel costs. But it's completely different from the previous point, right?

I'd also point out that Tesla is hardly the only automaker that is increasing its use of a single touchscreen for these functions. And, before that, manufacturers were already combining features into all-in-one units that were very similar in principle but controlled in different ways--such as with weird knobs, and other things. I expect it's a combination of consumer "wow factor"--which will probably wear off very soon--and streamlined manufacturing that drives this. But I'm no expert.

[wlesieutre]

They saved $25 in parts on the wiper controls. They saved more on labor. They also saved parts and labor on controls for AC/heat/fan controls, mirrors, driving mode selection (comfort/sport), traction control, regenerative braking, heated seats, and probably a bunch of other things I'm missing.

For the wipers specifically, putting it in the screen is questionable for safety reasons. The rest of it definitely saves them money.

[mdorazio]

No, it's $25 parts savings for the wiper switch, some additional savings for the simplified steering column, an additional $100 parts savings for not having an instrument cluster (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, etc.), additional savings for not having climate control hard buttons, and then at least $50 in labor and wiring savings due to the simplified installation.

And to your other comment, please look up bulk touchscreen panel prices on Alibaba. They are far cheaper than you seem to think, especially since the majority of the computing power is in a separate module. The model 3 uses the LG LA154WU1-SL01 panel. It is not expensive (under $300 in bulk) and continues to get cheaper.