Makes you wonder about ice cars too.
Comment on When EV startups shut down, will their cars still work?
Badeendje@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Scary to think that the answer will be no.
BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
Absolutely, in that the more software in a vehicle the more likely it is to brick once a company folds. ICE cars are less likely since they don’t have most of the software, but there are some that are computers on wheels still (and I’m sure the amount will continue to increase).
UsernameHere@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
ICE vehicles have more software because they have more components. They have a transmission control module and an engine control module both of which have a lot of sensors to read and outputs to control. Much more than a simple EV would have.
Aceticon@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
In my experience (mostly as a hobbyist and not in cars), embedded systems software (i.e. running in microcontrollers) is way smaller than the kind of stuff running in entertainment systems which require the power of microprocessors.
It’s pretty much an entirelly different class of software and even the libraries used are done with entirelly different primary objectives (generally small size is more important than just about everything else in the embedded system world).
ICE cars will have more microcontrollers (all communicating with each other via CAN), but the sofware within most of them is something that fits a few tens of KB of memory, whilst the software managing the used interface even if the screen is only 1024x768 (which looks like crap even compared to the cheapest of smartphones), will be tens of hundreds of megas worth of code + data.
NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Maybe just in terms of their electronics, such as updates and extended services.
I do wonder if things like heated seat subscription in EV’s and ICE car’s will keep functioning after the company disappears.
ThePantser@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Seems like that is ripe for a class action. If a piece of hardware ceases to function if you don’t pay a fee but then the ability to pay is denied or removed the hardware should default to functioning. Come on EU, this is right up your alley, let’s get some laws made over there so us lowly Americans can benefit!
Jrockwar@feddit.uk 3 weeks ago
Probably not. But that’s what happens when you buy Things as a Service.
ShepherdPie@midwest.social 3 weeks ago
Yeah they’ll likely end up melting once global temperatures rise high enough.
simplejack@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Depends on the manufacturer. A lot of American and European “smart” cars work fine without an internet connection. You need to use a key fob, and apps cloud maps or streaming apps obviously won’t work, but the basic driving, climate, and media stuff should work.
A lot of American and European cars actually kill your cloud service access if you don’t keep paying a subscription fee.
Gork@lemm.ee 3 weeks ago
I have zero use for a cloud connected car lol.
KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Cloud connected cars are essentially what happens when companies refuse to admit smart phones are superior for 99% of the stuff they want their car to do, and the other 1% is subscription bullshit.
ShepherdPie@midwest.social 3 weeks ago
Nah they’re using that cloud connection to spy on you and make money on the backend by selling your data.
kent_eh@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
I have zero desire for a cloud connected car.
Badeendje@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I think they keep an IOT connection alive to get the data they need from the car, they just kill your enjoyment of it. What happens if it would truly drop, your guess is as good as mine.
And that is with vested manufacturers. With startups it could be much worse.
kent_eh@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
The data they want, not need.
Badeendje@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Potato/potato…