I’m
driving in a new car. Pulled in to fill it with gas, wanted to
make sure of which side the gas cap was on, and I glanced at the
fuel gauge to look for the arrow that points toward the side I
need to place next to the pump.
If
I asked you what it said on the gauge to indicate fuel levels,
what would you answer?
And
you’re wrong.
Not
sure what you’re answer is, but I’m telling you, you’re wrong.
I am amazingly confident that I’m right that you’re wrong, nestled
thisclose to one-hundred-percent of any answers received.
In
my driveway is a car that uses what we might call the empty-full
traditional display. An E and an F, with a needle moving between
the two.
That
works. The tank is full, so the gauge reads near the F. Tank empty,
near the E. As the car is driven and gas is used, the read on
the gauge moves between the two as the needle adjusts.
Concept
works. We all know what it means. Simple, and no need to fix simple.
But
on this car, the display has a zero and a one. As in 0 and 1.
First,
that’s just wrong. Really wrong. Second, you didn’t expect that,
did you?
Technically,
it is accurate. If the tank is full, you have a tank of gas. One
tank of gas. If the tank is empty, you have no gas. Zero
gas. So, I can’t exactly pull out a red marker and grade this
dashboard as wrong.
But—Zero
and One—why?
Why?
It’s
like pulling into a station and instead of seeing that they sell
gas (or even fuel), the big display tells you the price of their
vehicle go juice. Not technically wrong, but it honestly creates
more puzzled looks than quick recognition.
Have
you ever noticed that everything from streaming services to internet
browsers to smartphones to more feel similar in nature? They all
have versions of a personal watch list, spaces to enter the address
of the site you want to visit, and ways of making you feel comfortable
as quickly as possible. Familiarity across products, even in things
that should be different, has its place.
The
manufacturer of this particular car used to use E/F on the gas
gauge. I’ve tried phrasing the search a million ways, but I cannot
find any information on why they made the swap to 0/1.
There
are times when I wonder about changes. Occasionally it falls into
the it’s not new if it’s improved and can’t be improved if it’s
new debate. But often I want to know why the change was made.
Makes sense if it is to better the product. Makes sense if there
are better ways to do things. But to change for the sake of change,
when everything down to the way we approach and expect things
to be, is quite a daring move.
In
discussing it with a friend, I offered up a possible thought.
The idea was that it was part of a transition. A move between
fuel sources, such as gas and battery power for the cars. We talked
about it for a bit, but eventually decided it wasn’t likely. There
was no reason to do this specifically as part of that type of
transition. No need for it.
But
then again, neither of us can figure out any reason for it.
Familiarity
is comfortable. Perhaps they just want to keep us on our toes.
(I hope in doing so, none of you run out of gas.)