“Is there a market for ‘dumb’ EVs for people who don’t care that much about high-tech stuff? In a few years time when I’ll be looking for a new car, I’d like it to be an electric vehicle. I really dislike the idea of the company having a remote access to my car or its data and I have no interest whatsoever to link my smartphone or any other devices to my car . So essentially I’d like a ‘regular’ car with a regular key and the infotainment system is of no importance to me to be honest.
The comments to that post suggest the Chevy Bolt, Fiat 500e, and Nissan LEAF are among the best options for those who don’t need their cars to be “connected” or “smart.” Careful readers will note those also tend to be among the least expensive EVs available in the North American market. The downside of connectedness was driven home for me earlier today when my colleague Jo Borrás shared this tweet with us as we were all sitting around drinking Kombucha tea and noshing on gluten free baked pea pods. [Personally, I find this a little disconcerting. I spent a little time practicing law and repossessing a car in my state always required a court order. This tweet doesn’t mention anything about such legal niceties.
I do not love the silly side camera video that blocks the traffic view and forces me to take eyes off the road to find it. I especially do not like it when the car tries to wrench the steering wheel out of my hands if I attempt to change lanes while Autopilot is engaged, something I could do with no drama in my “dumb” 2012 Honda Civic. Your view may be different. As the old expression goes, “Opinions are like noses. Everybody has one.
From my perspective, I think there is a significant market for cars that are smarter than a Dodge Polara but dumber than the guidance system of a Falcon rocket, especially if they are substantially cheaper than cars with 300 million lines of computer code. I would very much like to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please share your view in the comments section below. Thanks!
First one must define what is a smart car and dumb car.
There’s only room for ONE “smart car”
The real question is not if you trust a computer more than you trust yourself. The real question is if you trust a computer more than you trust everyone else.
No, I don’t want a dumb car. Autopilot is great. It won’t try to wrench the steering wheel away from the driver. I find it quite easy to override. Sure helps on long drives!
a car that doesn't eat and poop
There is no connection for the repo story as other cars,even dumb one, can be repossessed.
ehm sorry but this seems less like an article and more a old mans ranting of being annoyed by modern technology. Adding this insane 'repo guy' story makes this 'article' even worse.