Spark Ergonomics, it's a great car, but ...

[Oberon]

Despite the silly center display, the giant unnecessary gearshift lever, and the absurd placement of the seat heater switches I've gotten used to the Spark's, egonomic, uhh, quirks. And I'm willing to overlook all that because I love the drive train and the perfect city car nature of the thing.

However, I recently became aware of a possibly hazardous ergonomic flaw. The car on/off switch, that giant blue button, next to the climate control on/off switch (lighted switch labeled "Temp"). If you are distracted, say by traffic conditions, while trying to turn off the heat or AC it is easy to press the master OFF switch by mistake. Fortunately, it makes a nice bong tone and puts up a message that to really turn the car off while you are driving it you will have to press the switch twice. Unfortunately, if you are really really distracted and really really intent on turning off the damned lighted switch, it is possible to do exactly that.

I've hit the wrong switch a few times now, but only actually turned the car off once. It was quite alarming. As I recall you have to stop to get it to turn back on.

 

[tigger19687]

I do not have the Spark EV yet, but after looking at all the pictures I can't understand how you could confuse the 2 .

The Air is a raised round button.
The Ignition is a Rectangular almost flush to the dash and is illuminated .

Am I wrong in what the pictures look like ?

 

[xylhim]

You cannot turn the car off while it is in drive, it tells you to first shift in park.

 

[Sparkler]

You cannot turn the car off while it is in drive, it tells you to first shift in park.

Try pressing it twice, fairly quickly. Then try just holding it in.

Also, once you have turned it off while rolling, try putting it in Neutral to start up again.

 

[Oberon]

I do not have the Spark EV yet, but after looking at all the pictures I can't understand how you could confuse the 2 .

The Air is a raised round button.
The Ignition is a Rectangular almost flush to the dash and is illuminated .

Am I wrong in what the pictures look like ?

You are right, they look different. But, they are well out of line of sight when you are driving and both work by pressing with a fingertip. Since you use a fingertip the rectangleness or roundness are not apparent, just the flatness.

This raises the other systematic wrongness of the Spark ergonomics. You have to spend way too much time with your head down in the cockpit to operate basic controls like the radio and the climate control as very few controls can be operated by feel, all the others have to be looked at.

 

[xylhim]

The only thing I'd really complain about in this category:

A.) The touch screen isn't sensitive enough, which makes navigating on the map app quite difficult, or even flipping from multimedia to apps.
B.) The sport mode should be triggered on the steering wheel; I want to be able to access the extra torque as easily as possible.
C.) I don't want the AC to automatically come on when I turn on the fan, requiring me to turn off the AC. If I want the AC, I'll push the AC button.

 

[nmikmik]

However, I recently became aware of a possibly hazardous ergonomic flaw. The car on/off switch, that giant blue button, next to the climate control on/off switch (lighted switch labeled "Temp"). If you are distracted, say by traffic conditions, while trying to turn off the heat or AC it is easy to press the master OFF switch by mistake. Fortunately, it makes a nice bong tone and puts up a message that to really turn the car off while you are driving it you will have to press the switch twice. Unfortunately, if you are really really distracted and really really intent on turning off the damned lighted switch, it is possible to do exactly that.

I've hit the wrong switch a few times now, but only actually turned the car off once. It was quite alarming. As I recall you have to stop to get it to turn back on.

My my own admission I am horrible with ergonomics/controls going from one car to another, Toyota to Volvo for example. But, I suspect you are either way too tall or way too short, or there is something else "wrong" with you
I especially paid attention to the location, feel and possibility of confusing those two buttons on my ~50mi round trip today. To me, I'd have to make a special effort reaching for the power button instead of the climate control. My hand kind of "naturally" hits the razed round sides of the temperature control and then "finds" the (i agree pretty small) A/C button. To go from there to the power button I need to move the hand way to the left and reach for the power.
Everyone is different, that is my excuse, so i understand how you feel. Should be more of the exception rather than the rule.

The only thing I'd really complain about in this category:

A.) The touch screen isn't sensitive enough, which makes navigating on the map app quite difficult, or even flipping from multimedia to apps.
B.) The sport mode should be triggered on the steering wheel; I want to be able to access the extra torque as easily as possible.
C.) I don't want the AC to automatically come on when I turn on the fan, requiring me to turn off the AC. If I want the AC, I'll push the AC button.

I also agree with xylhim except the A,) - in my opinion the screen sometimes not sensitive enough, in others it's too sensitive.
I'd also add the D.) - inability to make the auto light=OFF as a default
Just a thought, maybe OP can use the C.) to his advantage - just forget about the A/C button, control it with the fan button on the right, that way you keep your hand away from the power button entirely
Good luck hey!

 

[nozferatu]

Despite the silly center display, the giant unnecessary gearshift lever, and the absurd placement of the seat heater switches I've gotten used to the Spark's, egonomic, uhh, quirks. And I'm willing to overlook all that because I love the drive train and the perfect city car nature of the thing.

However, I recently became aware of a possibly hazardous ergonomic flaw. The car on/off switch, that giant blue button, next to the climate control on/off switch (lighted switch labeled "Temp"). If you are distracted, say by traffic conditions, while trying to turn off the heat or AC it is easy to press the master OFF switch by mistake. Fortunately, it makes a nice bong tone and puts up a message that to really turn the car off while you are driving it you will have to press the switch twice. Unfortunately, if you are really really distracted and really really intent on turning off the damned lighted switch, it is possible to do exactly that.

I've hit the wrong switch a few times now, but only actually turned the car off once. It was quite alarming. As I recall you have to stop to get it to turn back on.

People have turned their cars off by turning the ignition key as well...crap happens.

I've never come close to hitting the on/off button....it's way out of the way for me.

 

[xylhim]

I also agree with xylhim except the A,) - in my opinion the screen sometimes not sensitive enough, in others it's too sensitive.
I'd also add the D.) - inability to make the auto light=OFF as a default
Just a thought, maybe OP can use the C.) to his advantage - just forget about the A/C button, control it with the fan button on the right, that way you keep your hand away from the power button entirely
Good luck hey!

Yes, I would also agree with the head lights thing, I constantly just turn them off during the day, a little annoying for sure!
So I never bush the A/C button, I turn the fan on by turning the fan control speed knob, but when I do this after a full charge, it automatically turns the A/C on, without me even pushing the A/C button. I haven't figured out a way to disable this function, but would like to!