The only way I'd buy one of these things is on a factory-delete custom order that removes the whole mess. You can still buy some fleet vehicles this way. The day I buy a car that has ads in its unremovable infotainment system will be a cold day in hell. I'll build a fucking car before buying one with ads.
I'm well into considering the build a car avenue myself. Since new cars are all bullshit now, I'm seriously tempted to just remove the drivetrain from my truck when it finally conks out and stick a kit built aftermarket EV powertrain in it instead.
For reference, my truck is so dumb it has crank windows. I'd like to keep it that way.
I have a pickup from the pre-infotainment era, and I've considered how long I'd be able to keep it. Buying an old vehicle from the south an doing a restore is so much more attractive than anything that has touchscreen controls for hvac, media, etc. All of that shit is a massive safety hazard and a huge pain in the ass to use. It's all garbage. Give me knobs and buttons all day long.
Who knows it will spawn an industry of standardized EV chassis you can buy and 3D print shops for the custom body when regular car producers go too far with spying and nagging.
I'm debating whether I can get away with an ebike. Work is 25 miles away, which is a long time in the saddle (esp in winter), but a train cuts that to 10 miles in the saddle.
First thing I'm doing when I buy a new car is ripping out the internet antennas.
My specs for a car are simple. You drive me to and from either work, or the grocery store. Nothing else.
Equipment that can't perform to spec gets replaced. Equipment that won't perform to spec gets abused until it will, or it can't.
Look for cars from around 2018. Thats when android auto and car play started being common, but spyware and constant internet connectivity wasn't quite yet.
I'm sensing a future where cars are becoming like cell phones and laptops, a single unit without replaceable core parts. And they'll have ads built right in.
It's really not that simple. There are basic car functionalities that are built into the infotainment system these days. I've seen some aftermarket fixes but frankly I'd rather just choose a different vehicle.
Yeah. EV's need to tap into "tuner" culture. We need a small, nimble, and simple EV with moderate range and the ability for the layman to replace and upgrade components.
Manufacturers are making 2025 EV F150s, and what the market really wants is 1990 EV Civics.