The ergonomic aspects of a passenger car climate control panel

In order to make a vehicle cabin environment thermally comfortable, substantial amount of the energy could be needed. This problem is especially notable in electric (EV) and hybrid vehicles (HV) because of the influence on the driving range. Therefore the EV and HV must have an efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system (HVAC). Correct setting and use of the system is also one of preconditions for rational use of the energy and to obtain the efficient energy consumption. Despite of the automation of the system, a driver must be able to set the HVAC while driving. This is secondary task and must not interfere with primary task, the vehicle control. Therefore, design of the climate control panel (CCP) is important in terms of driving safety and energy consumption. An ergonomic analysis of a sample of typical compact/middle class family cars CCPs is given and discussed. The results indicate that the approaches in the CCP design are very different and there is an absence of standardization in terms of general control layout and functions. A user-centred design of the CCP would result in reduced number of the controls and fewer steps needed to set the system.