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I think every major company that sells consumer based product wants to move to the iPhone model (atleast what I call it). They want you paying them constantly,

I think every major company that sells consumer based product wants to move to the iPhone model (atleast what I call it). They want you paying them constantly, always, monthly. Pay Tesla 450/month and when an update to their car arrives you can pay 475/month to now have the “latest”. The pressure for a company to have everyone paying them monthly is just to high. You’ll get pulled into their “ecosystem”, where it’s harder to switch. Why sell a car once per 10 years to a dealer who marks it up and has the interaction with the customer. Electric cars already have less maintenance (theoretically). Tesla doesn’t want you going away from paying them, no company does, and they are all fighting to prevent you from not paying them.

powerbroker 6y ago
This works great in a software dominated world, or in a world where Moore's law (or something like it) makes the device (though useful) obsolete. However, cars fit in a category that people consider to be a durable good. For decades, now, the expectation is that the car does not become landfill material until long after 10 years of use. If basic functionality is either a) unobtainable; or b) ridiculously pricey before those 10 years are up -- you've just lost a customer. For all their GPS and voice-commands, the Teslas, at root, remain a car. Buyers still expect that the point-A-to-point-B functionality can safely be maintained during the typical lifespan of a car -- and not that of an iPhone.
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  > However, cars fit in a category that people consider to be a durable good. It’s not because people consider it a durable good. It’s because people can’t afford or aren’t willing to pay the amount for a new car if an alternative is available. Many people aren’t going to shell out for a $35k Tesla that only lasts 10 years / 200,000 miles and is worth near zero at the end of 10 years if they can get a Toyota that will last 300,000+ miles, 20+ years, and is still worth a few thousand dollars. Cars are the second most expensive purchase most people make in their life, they literally can’t afford the luxury of a new one willy nilly (for cars brands aiming to be mainstream brands).

powerbroker 6y ago

This works great in a software dominated world, or in a world where Moore's law (or something like it) makes the device (though useful) obsolete. However, cars fit in a category that people consider to be a durable good. For decades, now, the expectation is that the car does not become landfill material until long after 10 years of use. If basic functionality is either a) unobtainable; or b) ridiculously pricey before those 10 years are up -- you've just lost a customer. For all their GPS and voice-commands, the Teslas, at root, remain a car. Buyers still expect that the point-A-to-point-B functionality can safely be maintained during the typical lifespan of a car -- and not that of an iPhone.

lotsofpulp 6y ago
> However, cars fit in a category that people consider to be a durable good. It’s not because people consider it a durable good. It’s because people can’t afford or aren’t willing to pay the amount for a new car if an alternative is available. Many people aren’t going to shell out for a $35k Tesla that only lasts 10 years / 200,000 miles and is worth near zero at the end of 10 years if they can get a Toyota that will last 300,000+ miles, 20+ years, and is still worth a few thousand dollars. Cars are the second most expensive purchase most people make in their life, they literally can’t afford the luxury of a new one willy nilly (for cars brands aiming to be mainstream brands).