On some cars you can also unplug whatever radio/modem doodad is responsible for phoning home. I have a Ford Maverick and disconnected the "telemetry module" which resides under the transmission hump by the front passenger seat.

I no longer receive updates to the infotainment system and I can't unlock the doors with my phone, but I also don't have the dealer emailing me service ads with my exact current mileage and tire pressure.

This is how it should be if the user prefers not to be connected.

How does this interact with the EU "eCall" mandate? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECall

(one of those things I've seen very little discussion of, the WP page correctly points out that this mandates a mobile-station in every car; although it does not precisely mandate that it be always-on, in practice it will be in order to manage messaging promptly)

I mean, even back in the OnStar days, you could "opt out" and cancel the service and it would track you anyway. With BYD or any other car maker, I'd be worried the SIM was a placebo.

[dead]

So then maybe you actually do want software updates...

That would be an interesting startup – manufacturing and supplying core EV components, all the way to rolling chassis.

If only I could trust that is all it did. I want 'airplane mode' for my vehicle. I turn my phone to 'airplane' mode all the time specifically because I don't want to give them access to where I am and all the other telemetry. I want incredibly strong protections that their network access isn't abused. Tools like logging all connections by application and the ability to block anything. Blocking when these tools can use the network (only when I have actively let them because I am actively using it for example) and opt-out by default with independent third party auditing of everything they release so I can build trust. I want real guarantees with real consequences when they are broken. I want devices to be mine, not theirs. Right now it is like someone has keys to my house and regularly comes in and installs hidden cameras without my permission. It is evil and people should go to jail for it. Unfortunately though, right now I have 100% trust that they will abuse their position which means I see every 'feature' that connects in any way as a major negative and not a positive. It is deeply unfortunate because I want to enjoy the things I pay for instead of treating them like the enemy that they currently are.

Exactly. If the last decade has shown us anything, consumers will always opt for the convenience features and cost far ahead of privacy concerns. I can't think of many successful consumer products with privacy as their key selling point, despite how many times it shows up here. Apple products maybe, but privacy is listed as feature #6 of the 7 features highlighted halfway down the page on https://www.apple.com/iphone/

As with everything to do with society and computerised features, it is a matter of scale.

Cameras reading numbers plates at multiple locations -including speed! - is one thing.

Noting your : location, speed, direction in subsecond increments, your climate control preferences, what songs/eBook you are listening to, your face imagery (thanks sleep alert camera) and listening to your conversations... this is a whole other level of possible privacy invasion.

Is all of the above being tracked? I could imagine much of that is unwieldy, or not that useful, data. But how can you know whether a company is taking this data or not without first being suspicious? And if you are suspicious at this level, then what could a company say to convince you they are above board, and only using your data to your benefit.

I'm assuming that its stainless. it were were aggressive about it, it would take a patina for anything from grey to black. stainless also develops a really wide variety of colors if you heat treat it in an oven with good temperature control. there a bronze-like color that's nice, and also a blue.

I'm amused to see that so many cybertrucks have been powder coated or wrapped in vinyl.

Same for me. The car looks beautiful and then you see the dashboard and it's just plain ugly. Doesn't match the rest of the car at all. It's easy enough to simply offer another trim option for the dash though.

Hell, I was souring through to see how they made it fully analogue.

A stupid title.

Out of curiosity, are those components standardized/swappable between manufacturers/models, or customized for each individual make/model?

So much of "old school" auto maintenance was having a relatively standardized size/fit for similar components.

> You can negotiate charging with essentially a single resistor.

For USB sure.... I'm pretty sure this doesn't charge over USB.

Well, OP Amps are technically "analog" too.

It very much looks like it's designed to be your second/third/tenth car. Not as impractical as a daily driver as most sports cars, but you won't use it for a trip to Ikea either

Keep in mind a Tesla Model 3 costs €45-60k in the Netherlands, it's one of the most expensive countries for buying private vehicles.

If you built the same car in China it would cost €15k or less. Eventually with enough volume they could probably cut the price in half, producing in one of the cheaper eastern european countries which already have strong manufacturing hubs.

For something of the value proposition of an Mazda MX5 with Nissan Figaro styling, I mean it's not terribly far off the mark. If you want the average Top Gear readers budget choice, the Renault 5 with 255 miles of WLTP range is about €32-34k as an 'everyman' Supermini without serious compromises in any particular area.

Short of getting some sub-BYD CDM manufacturer to compete directly, there's not much scope out there to cut much further than that for an acceptable 2+2 QOL car in 2025. Mainly I can see the likes of Dacia cutting corners in the interior to crew-cab standard and releasing a low-tide mark EV like their proposed 'Hipster'.

Dacia has stated that the target price for the entry-level Hipster is planned at around €12-15k - undercutting Dacia's most affordable electric model, the Spring, with an entry RRP of around €18,000 euros.

https://www.carscoops.com/2025/10/dacia-hipster-previews-dir...

Small Spartan cars are for people who drive cars, not for people who buy cars.

The most analog-appearing car interior I've ever seen is the Spyker C8: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spyker_C8_Spyder_-_F...

On a Bugatti? The switch replacement costs more than a car! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMgEhBsh/

This is the sentiment completely.

My 34-year old base spec Chevrolet has digital controls for timing advance, fuel trim, and integrated Engine and Transmission Control Units. But my dash has some analog components ( fuel level is variable voltage instead of PWM ). The mechanics would all say that my truck is very simple, and "old school"

The Lay use of 'analog' is far removed from function. As long as there isn't a screen, it isn't seen to be digital. I studied photography in college and loved shooting film. I have a processing machine that is based on a 6502. When people would talk about non-digital things as analog it would bug me (One is chemical, and one is a computer).

Not features found in the cockpit, unless you are not going to space today.

It's electric.

It's a recreational vehicle for booting around to and from the country club and out to the fancy places that European gentlemen go on afternoon Sunday drives to impress their mistresses.

Oh that reminds me, I should go check my lottery ticket.

They’re a Dutch company.

You can drive from just about any point in the Netherlands to any other in less than 300km.

For a weekend toy in the densely populated parts of Europe the range is fine.

Take a look at the video the car driving. I don't think people who buy this are worried about range anxiety.

Modern EVs also have airbags. This is just a toy for the wealthy, like a golf cart.

Yeah, the unfortunate reality with EVs is power and weight are tightly correlated, since the power output is limited by the batteries, and more battery capacity generally means more power output.

Ah... that could explain the apparent absence of airbags.

It's about 44 grand. It's definitely not "country club" money.

Not a hell of a lot more than say a Fiat 500E convertible, and quite a bit cooler.

Oh, c’mon, it’s 44K. One can easily spend 30K or more on a motorcycle these days, we are a long way from “country club” prices. If it came to the U. S., I’d probably pick one up to park next to our Hyundai (yeah, a Hyundai, not a Range Rover).

specifically, “free” VPN isn’t free. They use your computer that has the VPN software installed as an exit nodes for other customers. Those other customers hammer websites for their AI until it gets blocked. Sucks for you, unfortunately.

Talk to your kids about the dangers of VPNs before it's too late.

I guess the complaint is that electricity production is not zero emissions in most of the world, so it could be considered misleading.

I don't think it makes sense, ICE vehicle emission ratings have never included the drilling, refining, and transportation of fuel, and the alternative is for every vehicle to just advertise "unknown emissions" because it's impossible for the manufacturer to know anything beyond what the vehicle itself produces.

There are still emissions during production and decommissioning. And cars are sources of noise and light, and emissions due to component wear (tires and brakes, probably others as well). A specific car may be not as bad as others for the environment, but there is always some impact.

It's not legal to operate on public roads without a human behind the wheel and humans are known to emit CO2.

I had to dig to find this comment…Porsche called, and they want their legacy car back.

They would still need other sensors if omitting the camera, alongside a slew of other safety systems: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/document/download... . Curious.

My 2015 Tesla S has ten year old technology and does DC fast charging. It's a solved problem. You can buy a Dongfeng Nammi Box compact car with 42 kWh battery 310 km WLTP range for 169 kNOK in Norway, that's 14.3 kEUR but it's probably more expensive in the rest of Europe. Still it's much cheaper and can DC charge at 70 kW.

If you live in a flat as many do in the Netherlands DC fast charging might well be the only practical way to charge a vehicle. So I think this is just a toy for the well off who have off street parking.

Hah. That 21% tax (which will surely also be the case here) is a killer.

Slate doesn't have infotainment. It's BYOD with a dashboard mount and a USB connection for car integration.

I haven't heard specifically about connectedness otherwise, but I highly doubt there is a hidden SIM card in there somewhere.

It rumored to have VC funding from Besos, but that doesn't give them special access to Amazon nor Amazon special access to Slat.

It can lead to conflicts of interest (see also: https://www.law.com/delbizcourt/2025/10/29/attorney-for-amaz...) but that's a far cry from significant data sharing.

What do you mean by crash-worthy? Like it's so cheap it doesn't matter if you wreck it, or that you're likely to survive if you're in a crash?

That's ex VAT.

For a toy? definitely "luxury money"

> What is the price of a Carice TC2?

> Prices for a TC2 start at €44.500 excluding taxes (€53.854 including 21% btw/Dutch tax).