Make a dumb EV and you immediately get a lot of clients.
An EV doesn't need internet access, doesn't need mics and cameras inside, doesn't need a touchpad or a big screen.
this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2026
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This is what Slate Auto is doing with their truck.
That's why the Slate is the only EV I am even remotely interested in at this point. I hope it actually comes out and doesn't suck.
The problem is tracking you provides them revenue since they can sell the data, so they make more money with a vehicle that tracks you vs one that doesn't. A non-tracking vehicle is less competitive if it has to be sold for the same or less money than one that tracks you.
It doesn't have to be a "dumb" car. Just don't route everything through a stupid touchpad. I know it costs more to install buttons but I don't want to have to hunt and peck through dropdown menus to turn on the radio or air conditioning. And I definitely don't want a subscription service, that will be canceled eventually, to access remote start.
I need a golf cart that can go 80+mph and passes us safety standards.
Agreed. Where's the modern equivalent to my 95 honda civic? Zero smart features and it was the cheapest AND best car I've ever owned.
The era of Civic/Accord was so good. Drove one until it had like 270k miles on it before the insurance company decided to junk it after some body damage
The sad truth is that 99.99% of customers (citation needed) don't give a shit about getting tracked or having stupid "smart" features
I get where you're coming from but, for most people, such a car would be worse since it would have comparatively fewer features than the competition.
not at all, I'm holding on to my old car because I hate the idea of a car becoming hardware to sell me subscription services, a hard-to-repair mass of electronics that I (mostly) don't need or actively find annoying, and a privacy nightmare, instead of just being a mean for me to move from point A to point B
the perfect car would be sodium battery, all tactile buttons and switches, one screen in the middle with carplay/android auto.
I swear to god this and the Ford CEO saying basically the exact same thing have some benefit for them that isn't obvious. CEOs won't even admit anything bad even when it's their own company doing something wrong that has everyone pissed at them. There's no chance in hell a CEO is going to publicly announce that "we have no chance" against a competitors product.
There's probably some backroom deal with China where these guys "play the fool" for a day and then get access to something, whether domestic manufacturing in China, access to tech, access to rare earths, or some other thing.
They're saying they need more taxpayer money.
They were warned. It is the classic disruption model that played out repeatedly over the last century, with Kodak as the often cited example. But innovation gets in the way of short term profit and The Way We Do Things.
Then fire him and hire someone with a plan to match.
The problem is Japan doesnt refine any materials while China refines all the materials, and electric vehicles are relatively simple relative to combustion engines so theres less barrier to entry. The largest barrier is the battery, which is also manufactured in China.
This article seems to be focused on manufacturing for the Chinese domestic market, not the export of cars. They are worried about being shut out of the Chinese market.
And they are 100% right about their assumption. China isn‘t letting anyone in anymore. They use their entire state capitalist machine to reject foreign companies completely. Global companies should forget about China and decouple.
Not with that attitude you don’t.
The other guy who went to China and was shocked was the CEO of Ford. He is driving a Xiaomi SU7 that he's refusing to give up. Read the interview he gave after he visited China. https://insideevs.com/news/764318/ford-ceo-china-evs-humbled/
A few, like Tesla, have successfully made cars that act and feel like consumer devices—vehicles with lots of tech features, **** and a steady stream of meaningful software updates. Most are playing catch-up.
"smooth digital interfaces"
Nobody actually fucking wants this!
Ugh... He's not impressed with the gasoline free, infinitely superior propulsion technology - he's impressed by how much the in vehicle systems are like smartphones.
I threw up a little. We're never escaping this bullshit.
I hate this chasing of overly complicated and excessive software in cars. The only touchscreen I want in my car is the one that let's me run Android Auto for GPS and music. Everything else should be tactile analog switches and dials. Whichever person thought touchscreens are a safe UI choice in a fast moving death machine is insane.
I don't even need that. We all literally carry a gps device with a touch screen in our pockets at all times
Touchscreens are cheaper to install than tactile buttons. That's the draw for carmakers.
Amen.
Stop providing distractions to the assholes around me, they are dangerous enough as it is.
There's still hope for the rest of the world
Rest of the world if you live in Europe or China where they have enough bargaining power from their size I suppose. Doubt this will work in smaller countries and regions. Only hope is that the manufacturers feel that it's not worth it to make 2 different models of the same car.
Having been in many a Chinese Didi, the touch screens aren't just bad for UI, they also have things like video backgrounds and advertising built in. Distracted driving waiting to happen.
That would be everyone's favourite Elon Musk
That's Elon "Why would we need lidar? Humans don't use lidar, they just use their eyes and there's no reason technology could possibly improve on human vision" Musk?
Humans don't... Sheesh. Humans crash cars, asshole! Use the bloody lidar!
Human drivers, if they could get LIDAR with their car, would probably also use it.
Why not aim for better than what humans can do?