Not enough production yet to target those cheap customers. Today most companies would like to utilize all their production to make most money ie the most expensive. As demand gets saturated and they start looking for new customers they will get there.
Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
111–120 of 207 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Not sure about other regions, but in the EU, low tech cars are not allowed. Which is a rather recent development and certainly a protectionist move and will hinder adaptation massively. You need the full suite for lane controls, attention monitoring, emergency brake systems, etc... It is simply impossible to now release low tech cars and it is a political decision by the EU that is highly questionable.
Yeah, so called "Vision Zero": "The EU’s long-term goal is to move as close as possible to zero fatalities in road transport by 2050" https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/publications/eu-road-safety-towar...
It's a good start, but a grander vision would be to reduce or eliminate the need for cars altogether. You can build and sustain a mighty civilization without automobiles at all.
Per Poi Dog Pondering:
Well the ancient Egyptians and the other Africans
The Mayans, the Incas, and all the Polynesians
All around the world, a long long time ago
People would walk wherever they had to go
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#113I also wonder this. Electric cars tend to be larger heavy luxury vehicles, the opposite of what we need more of. Where are the small efficient commuter vehicles?
Talking about ICE vehicles, just about EVERY new car seems to be a larger heavy luxury vehicle.
Maybe it's just where I'm living?
I thought it was because they increased the efficiency requirements for standard wheelbase vehicles.
Intended effect: manufacturers make more efficient vehicles.
Actual effect: manufacturers make gigantic, less efficient, more expensive vehicles.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#114One of the main reasons: the margins on the high tech stuff is much better than all the low tech stuff, and amortizing the software of the high tech stuff across their entire line is much easier than just on the high end stuff alone.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, I understand that it's a cost-savings measure by the automakers, but that's not relevant to me as a car owner. If the added expense is so onerous to the automaker, then they can raise the price of the car to make up for it. I'd buy that, where I won't buy a car that has inferior controls. Why would I, when there is still a plethora of older cars available that better meet my needs?
Not many would be willing to pay $1000 more for more buttons.
It's not $1000.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#116Because there are some early adopters left with more money than sense. And the subsidies are fading but aren't gone for good. And because everyone's copying Tesla's unusable interface for some unknown reason. I doubt Musk would recognize a rotating physical a/c control if it fell off a Falcon and hit him on the head.
As crappy and annoying Tesla's UI can be, just keep in mind Tesla's software capability is 10x better than any other auto company (or more correctly their OEMs) were capable of.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
The car industry has an unusual profit curve. They have huge, huge fixed costs. It's not just the factory, it's the testing, compliance, marketing, etc. However, the price you pay for a car is substantially more than the marginal cost of producing it. So that industry is a famine-or-feast industry. Either they are losing money in mind-boggling quantities, or they are making money in mind-boggling quantities. There is…
>So that industry is a famine-or-feast industry. Either they are losing money in mind-boggling quantities, or they are making money in mind-boggling quantities. There is not a lot of in between. Search profit margins for Toyota/Ford/Volkswagen/Mercedes/BMW/Honda/etc All are in the 5% to 10% range, which is objectively a middle of the road profit margin. Mind boggling is what tech/oil/pharma/finance does, at 20%, 30%,…
Tesla's I'd allegedly way better. And when sodium ion hits volume at 200 wh/kg in a year or two, look out
Which is why the question is valid for EVs. There's about to be a revolutionary drop in the core cost of a car: batteries, motor, brakes. That's it!
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#118Which would you prefer - a brand new basic car with the minimum legal features (so you get a backup camera, tire pressure monitoring, airbags ...). Or a 5 year old car with features like air conditioning, radio, infotainment, heated seats and so on? The reality is people who are cheap buy used cars anyway as for the same price as a bare bones new car they can get all the luxury features as well. People who care about…
I would buy a cheap basic car. I don’t want any fancy features and don’t want to care about how someone else took or didn’t take care of the car.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#119I used to work in luxury automotive infotainment. The general feeling is that luxury customers want luxury level systems. EVs are still considered by the industry to be upper-level vehicles. Which is to say they still believe they’re catering to with more money.
We’re not going to see a low-tech EV for a long time. In my opinion, we’re not ever going to see one. And respectfully to you and all the other folks here who feel like you, I don’t think you represent the average driver in this regard.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#120Citroën Ami is about as low tech as you can get. If you want something more car-shaped, the Renault Zoe has very few tech feature. Similarly, Kia Soul has a reversing camera… and that's about it! No radar, lane assist, carplay or anything like that. Cstomers only want 3 things. A comfortable ride, a safe journey, and $thing. The problem is, everyone's one more thing is different. I want DAB radio, you want cruise con…
> Cstomers only want 3 things. A comfortable ride, a safe journey, and $thing. The problem is, everyone's one more thing is different. I want DAB radio, you want cruise control, she wants lane assist, he wants automatic parking. Every car has a radio. And DAB support has no real effect on cost and I don't think the radio chip is what OP has in mind for "low tech". The rest of that has a very clear divide. Cruise cont…
>Cruise control is low tech and negligible cost, especially on an electric vehicle.
Radar cruise control is not, and may be what the OP was thinking of.