Same can be said for keys on a keyboard you rarely use but why not have it there for that one time you need it? I for one, don’t want to be going through menus just to adjust my steering wheel - especially when I already started driving (which surprisingly happens often that someone else adjusted the steering wheel and I don’t notice until I’m already driving).
As far as comparing with the Volt, the Model 3 and Volt are in two different leagues. The volt is a mass market EV that could’ve been had (ironically, they discontinued it ;) for well under $30k. Model 3 starts at 40k and is competing with BMWs, Audi’s and Mercedes with much better ergonomics due to increased R&D spending over something like a Chevy.
First, the car knows who you are and adjusts the seats, mirror, and steering wheel for you when you get in. The concept is to eliminate controls which have no more need to exist. If someone else was just driving and you switch with the car still on, Tesla keeps a list of driver profiles!
You tap once to drop down the list of driver profiles, and then tap on your name. Boom. Seat, mirrors, and steering wheel are immediately setup.
This is so much better than the silly “1” and “2” buttons on the door on my wife’s Mercedes, which you have to hold down to make everything move, and for gods sake they don’t even work until you start the car! My wife is tiny, I can’t get in the seat without moving it first, so while standing outside the car, I stretch my foot in to reach the brake pedal and then reach around to press the Start button, so that I can then press... and hold... the “2” while the seat moves into position. Mind numbingly stupid.
To give another example, all the headlight switches that cars have, like that big dial left of the steering wheel on most cars where you can select from 3 or 4 headlight modes. Totally gone from the Model 3. Headlights and daytime running lights are full auto. Even high beams are full auto, although the left stalk will activate them manually if you want.
Are you seriously suggesting that "look-tap-read your name-tap" is quicker, safer, or more convenient than "press one button, which always works the same way and is not going to move, or change in any way, just because Elon needed more screen room for fart jokes"? Honestly, this stretches any belief.
Granted, I can see that Mercedes implementation is stupid -- of course you want it to work before you managed to squeeze in and start it, but that's a Mercedes problem, not an advantage of the touchscreen (which, of course, you also can only reach once you got inside). FWIW, on my 2011 car this is not a problem, button is in the door and works whether the engine is on or not.
As far as comparing with the Volt, the Model 3 and Volt are in two different leagues. The volt is a mass market EV that could’ve been had (ironically, they discontinued it ;) for well under $30k. Model 3 starts at 40k and is competing with BMWs, Audi’s and Mercedes with much better ergonomics due to increased R&D spending over something like a Chevy.