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Click bait. Truth is it's closer to them not putting AM radio in cars any more. They can still update/get access over WiFi, Bluetooth or directly just not of t

Click bait. Truth is it's closer to them not putting AM radio in cars any more. They can still update/get access over WiFi, Bluetooth or directly just not of the 2g cell network, that's all.

advisedwang 3y ago
The article specifically mentions features like remotely turning on the heating. Given that "The NissanConnect EV app .. will shut down from 1 April 2024" it sounds like this is going away, even if the car is connected to WiFi.
- sleepybrett 3y ago
  Yes, because the app doesn't directly talk to the car. It talks to the cloud service and the cloud service sends the instructions to the car over 2g. Unacceptable. Those radios should be modular enough that you could upgrade it with a 3g/4g modem, you could charge for the part. I'm now starting to get old enough to get annoyed like my predecessors who hated any car with a computer in it at all. My car is 23 years old, runs like a champ. I can't imagine throwing a car out in 10 years, or buying a car from any company that thinks that's something anyone should do.
  - rapsin4 3y ago
    How will the app talk the car without a cloud service? Are you technical?
    - crtasm 3y ago
      Plenty of apps let you connect directly to things, why wouldn't this be possible?
      - sleepybrett 3y ago
        Because they didn't build it that way. I worked you a company that wrote software for connected cars like this. Universally those platforms were the absolute worst. Underpowered, unreliable and sold for far to much.
        crtasm 3y ago
        Right, we're saying that it could have been built that way.
        crtasm 3y ago
        ...or updated to do so.
    - advisedwang 3y ago
      If you can swap out the 2G module for a 3G module, then the company has lost it's excuse for shutting down it's cloud. Companies that make a car that consumers expect to last 20 years should operate the cloud for the lifetime of the car.
  - bombcar 3y ago
    It all starts to make sense when you only look at customers of car companies (those who buy brand new or off-lease) - and how long they hold on to cars for. According to https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/buying-car-how-long-can-you-expect-car-last-240725 https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/buying-car-how-long-... it's about six years. So the automakers literally do not have to consider anything at all after ten+ years except how governments will complain.
mattbee 3y ago
No, the only remote control for the aircon, charging etc is via a box with a 2G connection, and a proxy that the app connects to. There is no local WiFi alternative. Bluetooth is only for audio & calls. The functionality can still be accessed from the car itself, including reprogramming the timers. You can replace the remote functionality with a kit sourced from the OVMS project - about £200 I think. Considering it for my 2015 Leaf.
- walteweiss 3y ago
  Hmm, the OVMS project looks interesting. But I don’t quite get it, is it kind of OpenWrt project, but for cars? My car has a native support, I see.
  - mattbee 3y ago
    Not used it yet, but the illustration on openvehicles.com shows an OBD-II port at one end, and black box with a DB-9 and lights labelled "GPS" and "GSM" :) So I guess ... it puts your car online, and you can read/control anything you could normally control from an OBD-II diagnostic app? But it looks like well-packaged sets of car-specific diagnostics and controls, not the raw interface you usually get from OBD-II apps.
    - adrianco 3y ago
      I use OVMS on my 2010 Tesla Roadster and it’s likely a good option for people who don’t mind a bit of DIY to get it installed and to buy a SIM card. It supports most of the functionality of the car so I assume it can do that on a Leaf as well. Leaf is on the supported car list.
acdha 3y ago
You pronounced it clickbait and then implicitly acknowledged it wasn’t in the next sentence. Even Nissan’s PR people agree that a feature present when people bought the vehicles is no longer available.

Click bait. Truth is it's closer to them not putting AM radio in cars any more. They can still update/get access over WiFi, Bluetooth or directly just not of the 2g cell network, that's all.

advisedwang 3y ago

The article specifically mentions features like remotely turning on the heating. Given that "The NissanConnect EV app .. will shut down from 1 April 2024" it sounds like this is going away, even if the car is connected to WiFi.

sleepybrett 3y ago
Yes, because the app doesn't directly talk to the car. It talks to the cloud service and the cloud service sends the instructions to the car over 2g. Unacceptable. Those radios should be modular enough that you could upgrade it with a 3g/4g modem, you could charge for the part. I'm now starting to get old enough to get annoyed like my predecessors who hated any car with a computer in it at all. My car is 23 years old, runs like a champ. I can't imagine throwing a car out in 10 years, or buying a car from any company that thinks that's something anyone should do.
- rapsin4 3y ago
  How will the app talk the car without a cloud service? Are you technical?
  - crtasm 3y ago
    Plenty of apps let you connect directly to things, why wouldn't this be possible?
    - sleepybrett 3y ago
      Because they didn't build it that way. I worked you a company that wrote software for connected cars like this. Universally those platforms were the absolute worst. Underpowered, unreliable and sold for far to much.
      - crtasm 3y ago
        Right, we're saying that it could have been built that way.
        crtasm 3y ago
        ...or updated to do so.
  - advisedwang 3y ago
    If you can swap out the 2G module for a 3G module, then the company has lost it's excuse for shutting down it's cloud. Companies that make a car that consumers expect to last 20 years should operate the cloud for the lifetime of the car.
- bombcar 3y ago
  It all starts to make sense when you only look at customers of car companies (those who buy brand new or off-lease) - and how long they hold on to cars for. According to https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/buying-car-how-long-can-you-expect-car-last-240725 https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/buying-car-how-long-... it's about six years. So the automakers literally do not have to consider anything at all after ten+ years except how governments will complain.

mattbee 3y ago

No, the only remote control for the aircon, charging etc is via a box with a 2G connection, and a proxy that the app connects to. There is no local WiFi alternative. Bluetooth is only for audio & calls. The functionality can still be accessed from the car itself, including reprogramming the timers. You can replace the remote functionality with a kit sourced from the OVMS project - about £200 I think. Considering it for my 2015 Leaf.

walteweiss 3y ago
Hmm, the OVMS project looks interesting. But I don’t quite get it, is it kind of OpenWrt project, but for cars? My car has a native support, I see.
- mattbee 3y ago
  Not used it yet, but the illustration on openvehicles.com shows an OBD-II port at one end, and black box with a DB-9 and lights labelled "GPS" and "GSM" :) So I guess ... it puts your car online, and you can read/control anything you could normally control from an OBD-II diagnostic app? But it looks like well-packaged sets of car-specific diagnostics and controls, not the raw interface you usually get from OBD-II apps.
  - adrianco 3y ago
    I use OVMS on my 2010 Tesla Roadster and it’s likely a good option for people who don’t mind a bit of DIY to get it installed and to buy a SIM card. It supports most of the functionality of the car so I assume it can do that on a Leaf as well. Leaf is on the supported car list.

acdha 3y ago

You pronounced it clickbait and then implicitly acknowledged it wasn’t in the next sentence. Even Nissan’s PR people agree that a feature present when people bought the vehicles is no longer available.