Comment by swagasaurus-rex
1 day ago
Very exciting! Electric vehicles have the ability to be very simple, much simpler than an ICE.
Although electric can't be 100% analog, I miss the old days when a car has no software updates, no telemetry, no privacy issues, no mandatory subscription for features.
I don't mind too much if there's still microcontrollers in the car, but I'd really rather they didn't have internet connectivity. The only antenna should be for AM/FM radio.
AM is on its way out with EVs though. there's no reason that a car that has all of that internet connectivity cannot have the same features just without sending the telemetry. upgrades do not need to be OTA, and be upgraded through a USB or even bluetooth from a device. the only reason for it is that there's money to be made from that telemetry.
> The only antenna should be for AM/FM radio.
And TPMS. And key-fob remote lock/unlock. And BTLE for BYO music / calls.
> but I'd really rather they didn't have internet connectivity.
This is the one big thing that has me leaning towards "used, 2015 or older" for my next car. With an EV, you really do want a way to specify how much power / when should be used for charging though; some "discounted" electric utility plans require being able to shed / schedule big loads on demand, too.
If this vehicle doesn't have any screen, you need to use a phone or similar to configure all this. Yes, schedule data can be done over BTLE, but something big like an OTA update can not be (at least, practically).
There's also a lot of value (for some people) in being able to change/monitor charge capacity from distances further away than what BTLE would support.
If the modem could be toggled and there was a USB port for software updates, I'd be _thrilled_.
I've a petrol car so I don't really know, but what's stopping the power/timing controls from being buttons on the charger wall unit? Even a local network app I'd have no issue with, but I really don't want my car or charging unit on the internet.
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You’d be bringing your own FM radio antenna in this case, the car doesn’t have a sound system
While the processing is practically necessarily digital it is possible to build an analog of an analog system - which is to say a digital device that acts in very much the same way that an analog device would. I think many people are underestimating the mini revolution still going on in the quality and price of electronic components.
Are they making any 100% analog ICE vehicles currently? This is just a consumer products issue. Sadly.
What do you mean by "analog?" It's not possible to make an "analog" vehicle of any kind due to regulation:
* It would be impossible to pass modern car emissions standards without electronic engine control.
* Backup cameras are mandatory, so you need an electronic pixel display somewhere.
* Lane keeping is required in Europe as of 2022, so that's a suite of sensors and computer-steering as a requirement.
* AEB will be required as of 2029 in the US, so that's a full electronic braking system (some form of pressure accumulator/source, solenoids/valves) and forward looking sensors (radar, lidar, visual, etc.).
> Backup cameras are mandatory, so you need an electronic pixel display somewhere.
I wonder if regulations would allow for a sort of periscope system.
(Not that it would be practical.)
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>Backup cameras are mandatory, so you need an electronic pixel display somewhere.
The vast vast majority of backup cameras ARE analog, including all the little one inch cubes you see poorly mounted on the back of sedans, and including the ones VW/Audi uses.
You could in fact plug their signal into a tube TV from the 50s. You might lose some overlay features.
If you want any one of:
Smooth running. Reliable start. Smooth Throttle application and resistance to all the problems we had with carbs. Airbags. Automatic management of cold weather performance.
Then you REQUIRE electronic actuators, sensors, and microcontrollers.
How many people know what a "Choke" is anymore?
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In many countries around the world you can buy a brand new 70 series Land Cruiser with a mechanical injection diesel fuel pump, crank windows, no screen, etc. No computer.
NGOs and UN buy them in the thousands for Africa and the Middle East.
Don't want or need analog: Just don't enshittify the digital! CAN bus is a great system; don't IoT it or use dark patterns.
God no, CAN is horrible and the horrors people working around its limitations have brought into the world are even worse.
CAN is really great for what it is. It is one of the simplest ways to get N devices to talk to each other. Really simple and easily debuggable.
Obviously it is too limiting for modern cars so it will get mostly dropped. It clearly is a great protocol though.
What limitations specifically are you referring to?
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I doubt CAN bus will be around that much longer, I know several EV manufacturers are actively phasing it out. Yes, it was revolutionary in it's time but it's a 40 year old standard that doesn't have enough bandwidth for the requirements of modern cars, and it was designed before security was even a thought. It's also unnecessarily complex wiring that adds weight to the car. Even the updated FD standard is only 8 mbps, so it's barely enough for video from a backup camera.
It's a tool that's more than sufficient for most things. Video isn't one of those, and it's a 2-wire bus, so I don't see what the wiring concern is!
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