Operating unit for a vehicle, comprising - a housing having a front side, - an operating element on the front side of the housing, - a sensory system (42, 60) configured for detection of a manual actuation of the operating element effected by a touch onto the operating surface with a presettable minimum pressing force, - an actuator comprising a drive unit and an actuating element driven by the drive unit, - wherein the drive unit of the actuator is rigidly coupled to the housing in a direct or indirect manner and is supported on it, - an actuation arm which projects from the operating element and which is mechanically acted on by the actuating element of the actuator at a force application point of the actuation arm, - wherein the actuation arm comprises a displacement portion extending between a cover plate and the force application point, for lateral displacement of the cover plate, and - an evaluation and control unit which is configured to receive measuring signals from the sensory system and, upon detection of a valid actuation of the operating element, to output to the drive unit of the actuator a control signal for pulsed mechanical excitation of the actuation arm by the actuating element of the actuator, characterized in - that the actuation arm is elastic and protrudes from a projecting portion of the cover plate, - that the actuation arm is extended, starting from its displacement portion, beyond the force application point and comprises an extension portion within which the actuation arm is elastically and mechanically fixed, - that the operating element comprises a display having a display surface and the cover plate, the cover plate defining an operating surface of the operating element and comprising at least the projecting portion laterally projecting beyond the display, and being supported on and/or in the housing in a manner allowing for elastic lateral displacement, and - that the actuator is arranged below the cover plate of the display. - a housing having a front side, - an operating element on the front side of the housing, - a sensory system (42, 60) configured for detection of a manual actuation of the operating element effected by a touch onto the operating surface with a presettable minimum pressing force, - an actuator comprising a drive unit and an actuating element driven by the drive unit, - wherein the drive unit of the actuator is rigidly coupled to the housing in a direct or indirect manner and is supported on it, - an actuation arm which projects from the operating element and which is mechanically acted on by the actuating element of the actuator at a force application point of the actuation arm, - wherein the actuation arm comprises a displacement portion extending between a cover plate and the force application point, for lateral displacement of the cover plate, and - an evaluation and control unit which is configured to receive measuring signals from the sensory system and, upon detection of a valid actuation of the operating element, to output to the drive unit of the actuator a control signal for pulsed mechanical excitation of the actuation arm by the actuating element of the actuator, - that the actuation arm is elastic and protrudes from a projecting portion of the cover plate, - that the actuation arm is extended, starting from its displacement portion, beyond the force application point and comprises an extension portion within which the actuation arm is elastically and mechanically fixed, - that the operating element comprises a display having a display surface and the cover plate, the cover plate defining an operating surface of the operating element and comprising at least the projecting portion laterally projecting beyond the display, and being supported on and/or in the housing in a manner allowing for elastic lateral displacement, and - that the actuator is arranged below the cover plate of the display.