I enjoy having a vehicle that doesn't run on a computer
this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2025
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Unless your computer is from the 70s, it has a computer.
That said, "always connected, getting firmware updates" is a new thing.
Stellantis did it
First one to build the unconnected EV where the purchaser has admin rights (and no one else), wins the race.
Unfortunately, this model is probably already deemed illegal. Regulatory capture is a beautiful thing 👀😬🙊
I just want a mechanical safety backup for the brakes, even non-EV new cars don't have that :(
Did toyota get rid of their hand e-brake? I thought they were one of the few left that still had a manual e-brake.
Flintstone feet breaker floor box
Admin right on the automotive parts seems like asking for trouble by default. While I'm very much in favor of owning and controlling all my devices, cars feels like weapons we put in the hand of the general public because they're deemed safe under regulations, so… yeah.
However, an EV with a separate automotive computer that only do car stuff under strict control, connected to another one that do management, UI, entertainment, etc. that's more open, I could see that. As long as the proprietary one have decent changelogs (that you'd have to trust, sadly) and can be updated at will with a decent UX instead of "your car's dead this morning lol". That sound like a viable compromise.
Any bad thing the user wants to do with the car can already be done by the person with the keys. Allowing the user more control could prevent someone including a terrorist or enemy state from doing something bad to millions of people like virtually cutting everyone's brakes at once.
I only agree if that separation means the vehicle cannot be remotely disabled by the manufacturer; on purpose or by accident.
I have a used 2017 Chevy Bolt that I absolutely adore. I bet I could pretty easily disable the OnStar if I was so inclined and paranoid about it somehow getting updates. But I doubt I need to do that.
First one to build the unconnected EV where the purchaser has admin rights (and no one else), wins the race.
Here in the United States a person can already build new or convert existing gasoline vehicles to be "unconnected" and in every way except possibly the battery management doing it with an EV would actually be easier.
It does cost money and take some time but probably less of both than you may think.
All I want is a car with modern engineering and simple technology. I'm fine with crank windows and a radio I can easily swap out. But I would like an engine that gets more than 7MPG and has crumple-zones that aren't my face. I don't need touchscreens and sensors for everything. And I sure as fuck don't want the manufacturer pushing out "updates" that can brick my car.
Worst thing is they are collecting info on what people do in the car. Here is an article on Nissan monitoring sexual activity inside car.
My 2001 Tacoma get like 24 mpg I think, been awhile since I did the math. Anyways it does all you said, got a tape player crank windows, and a bench controlled by 2 springs and 2 levers.
This doesn’t satisfy the “crumple zone that is not my face” requirement.
I've been in a crash in a 1995 Toyota 4runner which used more or less the same body, head on into the back of a truck at about 50 due to break failure. I can assure you that old Toyotas are about as safe as you can get without it being modern and even then it's a relatively minimum difference. A lot of the increase in safety started to happen with cars around 2000-2005 which given the lag time for a lot of these feature to see it in statistics means that that era of car is pretty damned decent.
Also it wasn't my 4runner mine had its engine self destruct due to a shitty rebuild.
I'm curious to see if there will be simpler electric cars in the future. Like the bare minimum electric circuit to make the car go forward. I could see a DIY kit for something like that. But the security standards these days ask for way more sensors and cameras to reduce risks of accidents wich is fair tbh.
Keep an eye on Slate. Hope they do well
They won't. Funded by Amazon, corporate tracking will still be mandatory.
If someone can jailbreak their kindles then hopefully someone can jailbreak the car haha
I would download a car
You mean the Bezos mobile? Not a chance in hell.
Ownership has been flipped upside down for modern EV owners (and actually a lot more). You don't own the machine, nor the keys, you license the experience- software, data, and even the ability to start/ move the vehicle. 30k+ for remote access, EULAs, feature subscriptions to a connectivity mesh? Also the monthly connectivity costs and software updates for.. how long?
I'm not sure EV's are the brilliant solution to modern transport, entertainment perhaps but little to nothing to do with modern or futuristic transport.
That's a corpo problem, not an EV problem. They could very easily make a perfectly fine EV that isn't a shitty motorized "smart device", if they chose to. But they aren't. The EV push just happened to coincide with the global ramping up of automotive enshittification that had already begun for all cars regardless of their energy source.
If you want to be a billionaire go for it. There's literally no competition in this segment and everyone wants it.
Yes of course, electric motors are by and far more reliable, stronger, faster, cleaner, quieter, less polluting, simpler, easier to repair, cheaper.. should I continue..
Electric vehicles on the other hand 😅
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I picture an electric car with almost no dashboard at all. Just one dial for speed and another for remaining charge along with your odometer if you feel you must have that info. Maybe estimated mileage, but even that’s just spare info to someone who’s used to a classic fuel gauge.
In a car, the interior should fall away and the car should become an extension of the driver. Only by feeling the need to preserve the car do you drive with the necessary attention to protect yourself.
People seem to treat cars like roaming living rooms instead of the farm equipment they really are.
An American worker spending 1hr each way commuting to an 8hr+1hr lunch job is spending 2 out of 7 of their free hours in this machine. It's understandable that the demand for their vehicle to not be an oppressive environment would arise.
But I do agree that not all cars should be packed with these superfluous amenities
Ineos Grenadier is close...still waiting on the aftermarket to come up with reprogramming tools
Ineos Grenadier
That is 86K. What the fuck. Everything I own is not worth 86k.
The Slate EV is supposed to come in mid-$20k range. Doesn't even come with a stereo, you get your own that fits in the space, or just zip tie a Bluetooth speaker somewhere. Refreshingly utilitarian, I think things should be modular.
It’s Bezos sponsored, so take the good PR work with a grain of salt given the state of everything he and Amazon have touched
Ah goddamn it.
Wait, no speakers either?
My manual transmission Subaru Impreza has Android Auto and a Reverse Camera. That's the most advanced part of the car. It's a dinosaur otherwise, with a transmission and drivetrain that debuted in 1999 and an engine that's rough but reliable. The instrument cluster has two gauges - speed and RPM. The rest are on a calculator LCD that displays numbers for fuel and miles travelled, and a billion different danger lights that tell you if there's a problem somewhere. It also has electric windows and door locks. And cruise.
The problems the car has as it gets older are none of the electrical bits - they all work fine. It's the rear wheel bearings, suspension bushings, and center differential that wear out over time. Ironically, the most basic, mechanical parts.
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My 2014 Kia Rio has crank windows, no cruise control, 6-spd manual trans. No touchscreens--only buttons.
Car is very slow (1.6L non-turbo) but gets ~36mpg average. I've gotten as much as 40 when actually driving for mpg.
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Surely there's a better source you could have linked to than Twitter.
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Doubt.
Seems to be affecting a number of individuals. Usually OTAs go through deployment waves, and I’d expect that only certain combos of trims to be affected but it could also be a shit show deployment. Will be interesting to see what happens.
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