raxxorraxor
5 hours ago
Their own fault. There could have been open standards that would have propelled manufacturers that have a lot of suppliers, who suffer under bad software today. It would also make such cars dominate the market for used vehicles, which is even more important than selling new cars if you want a large target group.
But instead they opted for arse heating subscriptions.
I think the situation is so grim for some manufacturers. So much so that they might disappear forever. There are a lot of workplaces affected by these strategic mistakes.
New cars will not be as much repairable either, even if electric motor could make car repairs even more trivial. But cheap new manufacturers just offer the better bargain for the usual customer. And the younger gens are even more price sensitive because cars lost their appeal as a symbol of status.
redserk
4 hours ago
I'm unsure how this meaningfully addresses the problem here.
"Open" doesn't mean it's engineered well.
raxxorraxor
3 hours ago
No, open doesn't mean quality but there are numerous advantages to it.
Since there are so many suppliers, you need standard interfaces for components to speak to each other. An open communication standard would help immensely.
Additionally manufacturers tried to do the opposite and implemented DRM measures to verify the installation of "genuine" parts. This of course causes massive problems with compatibility.
This would also affect reparability. People value maintenance very, very highly. It is usually at the top for economic considerations for vehicles that serve a mass market.
People might accept shitty smartphones for a few hundred bucks, but in the price range of vehicles, people expect them to be repairable for longer than a decade.
Modern cars don't deliver here. Asian manufacturers give a 7 year warranty to mitigate the problem of modern cars. That is why they are comparatively successful.
redserk
3 hours ago
Have you worked on any vehicles?
You do realize that cars have never had these open standards and that parts interoperability has varied wildly even within the same manufacturer?
Even if you had the parts, a number of carmakers have made it, and continue to make it difficult to get the official service manual to replace parts.
What you're proposing is historically unrealistic and unconventional.
> Modern cars don't deliver here.
Neither do older ones. After an automaker stops making parts then you're going to have to dig around on eBay or find a local scrapyard. Maybe you'll get lucky and there's a third party continuing to make parts but that's no guarantee.
I support right-to-repair, but the auto industry has been historically hostile towards it.