4 ms·

Sadly these are the exact reasons why it won't be modular. They can force you to buy a new car just by stopping support for its operating system.

chrismcb 10y ago
The car won't stop working just because they do updating the software. At least in America they have to provide parts for at least 10 years. And eventually they won't be able to continue to yell copyright to prevent people from updating the software
- superuser2 10y ago
  If the software is internet-facing (hint: it is) and contains unpatched vulnerabilities, it could easily be made to stop working by a drive-by (hah) script kiddie attack.
- xg15 10y ago
  This is actually an interesting question when combined with OTA updates. Could (auto maker of your choice) theoretically supply all the parts you want but deny you from using them via software blocks? Or would that be illegal?
- ArkyBeagle 10y ago
  There are people with John Deere tractors who claim they can no longer use said tractors because the tractor's owner won't pay for an authorized tech to come out and plug into the tractor. Because farmers have to be frugal. So maybe they can yell copyright. On the other hand, things with engines can hurt people so you cannot allow unconstrained access to that port. Safety, IP and "who owns what" will make things more interesting as things emerge.
50CNT 10y ago
Cars aren't iPhones though. Let's assume that the manufacturer supports the OS for 2 years and let's take the Nissan Versa 2016, which has the lowest cost to own of any car. Sticker Price I found was $12,825 ,so let's go with that. Cost to Own for 5 years I found is $28,855. I assume this includes depreciation and that the car fully depreciates in 5 years. If the car lasts for 2 years, the monthly cost comes down to $796/month. If the car lasts for 5, the monthly cost is $476/month, which is a little more than half. Now this is the most budget new car I could find. Straight up doubles in cost. Or you get the situation where people just decide to drive with the legacy version anyways, which sounds a lot like a literal ton of Windows XP at 50mph. And all because you couldn't come up with a universal plug for car entertainment systems.
- zanny 10y ago
  > And all because you couldn't come up with a universal plug for car entertainment systems. It will have absolutely zero impact on their bottom line sales to stop updating their carOS, since they have been doing it for years already and have never done it in the past. Every car with bluetooth / cellular / wifi support has to, by design, contain a computer to provide that service. Every car with a dash more sophisticated than dials has a computer in it. Nobody has ever considered the security or ethical consequences of these wholly proprietary computers in their cars, and in the same way modern John Deere tractors are complete black boxes with no ability for quote unquote "owners" to inspect, audit, modify, or replace the software part cars have been the same way for years, even if the computer hasn't given you an obvious touchpad UI to notice it.

chrismcb 10y ago

The car won't stop working just because they do updating the software. At least in America they have to provide parts for at least 10 years. And eventually they won't be able to continue to yell copyright to prevent people from updating the software

superuser2 10y ago
If the software is internet-facing (hint: it is) and contains unpatched vulnerabilities, it could easily be made to stop working by a drive-by (hah) script kiddie attack.
xg15 10y ago
This is actually an interesting question when combined with OTA updates. Could (auto maker of your choice) theoretically supply all the parts you want but deny you from using them via software blocks? Or would that be illegal?
ArkyBeagle 10y ago
There are people with John Deere tractors who claim they can no longer use said tractors because the tractor's owner won't pay for an authorized tech to come out and plug into the tractor. Because farmers have to be frugal. So maybe they can yell copyright. On the other hand, things with engines can hurt people so you cannot allow unconstrained access to that port. Safety, IP and "who owns what" will make things more interesting as things emerge.

50CNT 10y ago

Cars aren't iPhones though. Let's assume that the manufacturer supports the OS for 2 years and let's take the Nissan Versa 2016, which has the lowest cost to own of any car. Sticker Price I found was $12,825 ,so let's go with that. Cost to Own for 5 years I found is $28,855. I assume this includes depreciation and that the car fully depreciates in 5 years. If the car lasts for 2 years, the monthly cost comes down to $796/month. If the car lasts for 5, the monthly cost is $476/month, which is a little more than half. Now this is the most budget new car I could find. Straight up doubles in cost. Or you get the situation where people just decide to drive with the legacy version anyways, which sounds a lot like a literal ton of Windows XP at 50mph. And all because you couldn't come up with a universal plug for car entertainment systems.

zanny 10y ago
> And all because you couldn't come up with a universal plug for car entertainment systems. It will have absolutely zero impact on their bottom line sales to stop updating their carOS, since they have been doing it for years already and have never done it in the past. Every car with bluetooth / cellular / wifi support has to, by design, contain a computer to provide that service. Every car with a dash more sophisticated than dials has a computer in it. Nobody has ever considered the security or ethical consequences of these wholly proprietary computers in their cars, and in the same way modern John Deere tractors are complete black boxes with no ability for quote unquote "owners" to inspect, audit, modify, or replace the software part cars have been the same way for years, even if the computer hasn't given you an obvious touchpad UI to notice it.