Electric Cars Are Already Upending America | After years of promise, a massive shift is under way::After years of promise, a massive shift is under way.
In the EV age, cars are no longer just cars. They are computers.
oh no
Stripping out a gas engine, transmission, and 100-plus moving parts turns a vehicle into something more digital than analog—sort of like how typing on an iPhone keyboard is different than on my clackety old Samsung flip phone.
stop
“It’s the software that is really the heart of an EV,” DeGraff said—it runs the motors, calculates how many miles are left on a charge, optimizes the brakes, and much more.
stop, please
Just like with other gadgets that bug you about software updates, all of this firmware can be updated over Wi-Fi while a car charges overnight.
noooooooooooooooo
“It’s the software that is really the heart of an EV,” DeGraff said—it runs the motors, calculates how many miles are left on a charge, optimizes the brakes, and much more.
Its all the worst parts of owning an EV.
Seriously, give me a mostly-dumb EV and I’m happy as a clam. The best parts of an EV are not the software (those are some of the worst).
I can’t wait to not own my car anymore and have all features preinstalled but not working because I didn’t pay enough.
Audi and BMW are doing this for a decade. A friend has an Audi and he cracked the infotainment to have all the smart drive things and sensors for parking
This headline is weird.
How can it be both “already upending” and “after years of promise”. They seem like mutually exclusive concepts
Seems like, but I dont think they are. It’s like going from 0 to 60, it’s more impressive the faster it happens. We were promised EVs for years, and it’s like a fire hose was turned on instead of a slow trickle. Sorry to mix metaphors all willy nilly.
How is this a transition, though?
I had a 1981 four-cylinder Ford Ranger that needed it’s onboard computer replaced so the damn thing would stop shuddering while idling. The thing had a damn carburetor, this was prior to fuel injection. Still had a small “computer” inside of it.
Computers have been in vehicles and managing parts of vehicles for forty fucking years or more.
The real transition is deciding that the electronic sensors are cheaper than physical sensors, despite physical sensors (often) being more accurate and less prone to failure.
They need to convince you it’s different so you’ll eat the $50/month subscription.
Having computers isn’t the problem, having remotely controlled computer with cryptographically paired components and limited user-accessible diagnostics is. If they can effectively control the software, they can force you into a subscription to access basic features and require you to visit their dealers to get service.
Transition in the same way it is for all software these days. The difference is the expectation of always on connections, constant telemetry, and continuous delivery of updates. That’s quite a bit different than the software model used for your 1981 Ranger. Though it’s not specific to cars.
