Maybe some good will come out of it...
- Thread starter swampdodo
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IMHO very important with the age of EVs coming; my biggest fear is EVs will be like iPhones, support will end much earlier than the devices useful lifespan, then only a select few who can shell out $$ for upgrades every 5,6,7 years will have access.
What is backyard bob gonna fix on an EV? ...maybe kill himself playing battery tech? Hotrod the motor-vator for a few extra E-Ponies? Upgrade the control panel so Netflix can play while driving? Display on a phone is a different story but beyond that the integration level is getting so high that things wont be servicable.
Just because you can't see how to fix things doesn't mean others don't have the skills.
If someone built it, someone can fix it.
Here is an analogy: Denso supplies parts to Toyota; Toyota decides that suppliers cannot sell any of their supplied parts under the Denso name; they are limited to selling only to Toyota. Instead of (4) Denso O2 sensors from RA for $70/piece, i have to purchase the $200 ones directly from Toyota.
Poke around on the web regarding the HP printer cartridge lawsuit. It indicates the measure of what companies will do to lock a user into using their products.
A problem with an EV isn't restricted to the EV subsystem parts or computer, if a wheel bearing fails, Telsa might restrict the bearing mfg from selling it directly to you; Telsa tells you "oh, part is unavailable....."
Just wait for the aftermarket.
Having the option is important because an EV like another other vehicle is in fact the property of Bob. If Bob bricks his car that's on him.
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Scary how after your phone is paid off, in my experience Apple and Samsung, your phone just happens to have issues. This is a major issue with EV's that is not addressed much at all.
planned obsolescence
I had a small flip phone well into the age of smart phones...2011? I had service with AT&T at that time.
We'll I guess they got tired supporting my old tech because they just cut me off. So, I was forced to upgrade, but I got another flip phone at Verizon. I still use that flip phone as my alarm clock. I finally got my first smart phone in 2015/2016.
I had a small flip phone well into the age of smart phones...2011? I had service with AT&T at that time.
We'll I guess they got tired supporting my old tech because they just cut me off. So, I was forced to upgrade, but I got another flip phone at Verizon. I still use that flip phone as my alarm clock. I finally got my first smart phone in 2015/2016.
The problem is: the line between who owns what and the definition of "fix" has blurred over the years.
In the mechanical world it is pretty obvious who makes what and has a patent on it, and who cannot make something until the patent expired. In the software world they may use the same parts and then the manufacturer (i.e. Tesla) writes their own software on the same chips that everyone else use so they cannot just let you buy a part without selling you a copy of the design. In theory if the volume is large they should be reasonably priced, but if everyone make their own module where is the "reasonable price"? We are lucky that ECU don't die all the time but you can bet your Mercedes ECU won't work on BMW and nobody can make the Mercedes ECU. It is not just electric car either.
The problem comes when you cannot swap used parts between cars for repair because they lock / encrypt them. If they charge you $5000 for a board because they worn out the flash memory, and a replacement flash memory won't work because they encrypt the contents with some serial number, and they don't "repair" the board and insist you buy a new one because they don't repair (low volume), then it becomes a problem.
Luckily in our world we have competition, so if 4/5 manufacturers do this and 1 doesn't then you know who to buy from next time (unless you are too far into the fashion and insist on buying Tesla + Apple).
Because of this BS a simple replacement car key now cost $300-500. More than a water pump job in some cars. I'm pretty much convinced that it make sense to replace a Corolla Hybrid every 100k now instead of paying for any premium car.
In the mechanical world it is pretty obvious who makes what and has a patent on it, and who cannot make something until the patent expired. In the software world they may use the same parts and then the manufacturer (i.e. Tesla) writes their own software on the same chips that everyone else use so they cannot just let you buy a part without selling you a copy of the design. In theory if the volume is large they should be reasonably priced, but if everyone make their own module where is the "reasonable price"? We are lucky that ECU don't die all the time but you can bet your Mercedes ECU won't work on BMW and nobody can make the Mercedes ECU. It is not just electric car either.
The problem comes when you cannot swap used parts between cars for repair because they lock / encrypt them. If they charge you $5000 for a board because they worn out the flash memory, and a replacement flash memory won't work because they encrypt the contents with some serial number, and they don't "repair" the board and insist you buy a new one because they don't repair (low volume), then it becomes a problem.
Luckily in our world we have competition, so if 4/5 manufacturers do this and 1 doesn't then you know who to buy from next time (unless you are too far into the fashion and insist on buying Tesla + Apple).
Because of this BS a simple replacement car key now cost $300-500. More than a water pump job in some cars. I'm pretty much convinced that it make sense to replace a Corolla Hybrid every 100k now instead of paying for any premium car.
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