“It's Not Just a Phone, It's a Vehicle”: VW Chief Guarantees the Return of Buttons for Good

      VW

      Driving fans can celebrate. Volkswagen is set to replace its touchscreen-dominant controls with traditional physical buttons in its upcoming electric vehicle lineup, according to the company’s design chief Andreas Mindt in an interview with Autocar. Why make this change? While touchscreen controls are popular and versatile, they overlook a key point: this isn’t a smartphone.

      “We will never, ever make this mistake again. Physical buttons will be on the steering wheel. No more guessing. There’s feedback, it’s tangible, and people appreciate this,” Mindt stated. “Honestly, it’s a car. It's not a phone; it’s a car.”

      I couldn’t have expressed it better myself. Although VW's touchscreens will remain, they will be complemented by tactile controls for essential functions like audio volume, heating and cooling, and hazard lights, according to Mindt.

      “They will be present in every vehicle we produce from now on. We recognized this,” he added, referencing both critical and customer feedback. While cars will still need space for screens for navigation systems and required backup cameras, they won’t have to compromise on dedicated knobs and buttons for these vital functions.

      This isn’t the first instance of such a statement. In late 2023, VW CEO Thomas Schäfer made similar commitments after facing criticism over the company's reliance on touch and haptic feedback controls, especially for temperature settings in newer models.

      Schäfer himself acknowledged the challenges in locating some infotainment features, admitting that their initial solution could be “terrible” for the customer experience.

      However, this time, instead of vague assurances, we have a clear timeline: the introduction of VW's ID 2all—the internal project name still being used by VW employees to describe the battery-powered Volkswagen Golf.

      “From the ID 2all onwards, we will incorporate physical buttons for the five key functions,” Mindt mentioned.

      Regardless of the name VW chooses, the new Golf-sized (and hopefully Golf-shaped) ID 2all is set to be unveiled in production form later this year, with global sales scheduled to start in 2026. Here in the United States, we may have to wait at least another year after its European launch before we can get our hands on one.

      Have a tip? Email us at [email protected]