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Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

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Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#161

Post by jjav »

oblio wrote: post #146
jjav wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm looking at components that are most affected by entropy This! I have difficulty understanding why more people don't view products from this angle, as this is the thinking that dominates my thoughts when considering any purchase. Everything is going to break, that's physical reality. So how easy (cost & availability) will it be to fix? What are the consequences of things breaking? Is it just that one feature tha…

Most people probably sell their cars after 5 years or so. Edit: 8 years ( https://www.germaincars.com/average-length-of-car-ownership/ )

> Most people probably sell their cars after 5 (8) years or so.

But these are stats from new car buyers. But of course they are selling to someone else, and so on. The always-new car buyer won't experience these problems, but these are the people rich enough to be buying new cars every handful of years. The car will live on for many decades in the second-hand market and still needs to be repaired.

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#162

Post by oblio »

jjav wrote: post #161
oblio wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people probably sell their cars after 5 years or so. Edit: 8 years ( https://www.germaincars.com/average-length-of-car-ownership/ )

> Most people probably sell their cars after 5 (8) years or so. But these are stats from new car buyers. But of course they are selling to someone else, and so on. The always-new car buyer won't experience these problems, but these are the people rich enough to be buying new cars every handful of years. The car will live on for many decades in the second-hand market and still needs to be repaired.

The average car age is 12 years:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/738667/us-vehicles-proje...

So that's only 4 more years on average. And modern cars are quite reliable.

> The car will live on for many decades in the second-hand market and still needs to be repaired.

Cars that live 20+ years are probably a minority.

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#163

Post by jjav »

oblio wrote: post #162
jjav wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most people probably sell their cars after 5 (8) years or so. But these are stats from new car buyers. But of course they are selling to someone else, and so on. The always-new car buyer won't experience these problems, but these are the people rich enough to be buying new cars every handful of years. The car will live on for many decades in the second-hand market and still needs to be repaired.

The average car age is 12 years: https://www.statista.com/statistics/738667/us-vehicles-proje... So that's only 4 more years on average. And modern cars are quite reliable. > The car will live on for many decades in the second-hand market and still needs to be repaired. Cars that live 20+ years are probably a minority.

> Cars that live 20+ years are probably a minority.

That seems vastly unlikely? But I don't have stats one way or the other.

My newest car is 19 years old and it's like new for all purposes. My other cars currently are 30 and 35 years old and aside from paint faiding they are as good as new. With reasonable maintenance, cars will last for many many decades.

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#164

Post by switch007 »

JPws_Prntr_Fngr wrote: post #158
switch007 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BMW lost its way when it made an SUV, at the turn of the last century. Then horrible things like front wheel drive happened in 2004! Then more odd numbers! 2, 4, 6…! And then they put a turbo on the M3. Absolute carnage after 1999 lol

I’d say they kept it together a little longer. My 2006 e46 still had most of that BMW DNA from my friends’ e36 & e30s… Even my 2010 e83 is essentially a lifted e46 (with a really bad suspension tune). IMHO it was really the f chassis where they told their enthusiast fans to fuck off so they could sell to suburban women instead

Yes that's fair. More of a 'direction shift' than totally losing their way.

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#165

Post by oblio »

jjav wrote: post #163
oblio wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average car age is 12 years: https://www.statista.com/statistics/738667/us-vehicles-proje... So that's only 4 more years on average. And modern cars are quite reliable. > The car will live on for many decades in the second-hand market and still needs to be repaired. Cars that live 20+ years are probably a minority.

> Cars that live 20+ years are probably a minority. That seems vastly unlikely? But I don't have stats one way or the other. My newest car is 19 years old and it's like new for all purposes. My other cars currently are 30 and 35 years old and aside from paint faiding they are as good as new. With reasonable maintenance, cars will last for many many decades.

You are by far the exception, especially since being on HN, you're most likely to be middle class or higher.

Poor people have cars that old, usually, there's a reason they're called "beaters".

People in general try not to have cars older than around 7 years if they can, that's the "public wisdom" regarding when cars start having bigger maintenance problems.

Edit:

There you go, data: https://hedgescompany.com/blog/2022/02/how-old-are-cars/

Only 24% older than 18 years. 30 years old puts you at 5% and 35 years old at 1%.

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#166

Post by phkahler »

hospitalJail wrote: post #38
phkahler wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding of GM is that they outsource almost everything. Last time I hired an embedded software engineer from them, the guy felt he was in a very tiny niche within the company and it was a fluke his group still existed to write code. Infotainment systems may be different, but suppliers were doing most of the code several years back (I hired one of those guys too). With the desire to bring SaaS to automotive I…

>Last time I hired an embedded software engineer from them, the guy felt he was in a very tiny niche within the company and it was a fluke his group still existed to write code. I've worked there. There are two types of people: "Lifers" which are the people you described. They are content with doing their pieces and never taking a step outside the cog they are part of. This is most of the people there. Then there are…

>> There are likely more people tracking the completion of work, than those doing work.

I completely agree. I interviewed there and above a certain level all they really want is the ability to bargain with others for resources if you or your own people can't get something done or done on time. It's not a bad thing, it's just the entire focus at that level, which leads to more chiefs than indians.

I think it stems from interdependence of components and the huge supply chain. You can't miss or it impacts the model year changeover. IMHO they need to work on that so they can have more incremental change if needed.

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#167

Post by coev »

mbrameld wrote: post #132
abawany wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was able to add android auto/carplay to my old car by installing an aftermarket pioneer head unit with this functionality. The nice thing about older cars is that such replacement is possible and relatively easy.

> The nice thing about older cars is that such replacement is possible and relatively easy. Unless the 2013 vehicle is a Subaru Outback with factory navigation. Then it might be possible with some fabrication skills and equipment, but it's definitely not going to be easy.

Go old enough that you're looking at cars with standard double-DIN radio slots

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#168

Post by progbits »

shitlord wrote: post #138
progbits wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No infotainment doesn't mean no safety. Keep the fancy airbags and traction control, adaptive cruise control etc. Just throw out the garbage custom navigation and radio. It never works well. The display should be simply used for carplay/android auto, and be a black rectangle otherwise. Maybe sell an addon package to just shove a preconfigured phone into the glove box for people who don't want to tether their device.

The cameras are also helpful in the city, and not just for parking.

Agreed. But ideally the cameras are available as input to the phone which can then also be your dashcam with cloud upload.

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#169

Post by linksnapzz »

VectorLock wrote: post #160
LarryDarrell wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 80s were a weird decade. GM didn't want to give up vacuum lines, Ford had electronic fuel injection and little else, and Chrysler had those K-Cars that broke a lot, but they were at least cheap to fix. Toyotas, Hondas and Volvos of that era lasted a long time, and it would have been simple to predict had you bothered to look. Simplicity + Robustness = Longevity. Because of that equation, the domestic long running…

>Except Chrysler, it's best to avoid all era of Chrysler and I say this as former K-Car and Ram owner. Jeeps are hilariously bad. Like "far and away statistically the worst" reliability wise.

It used to be that things not made out of steel on a Jeep would fail, but that was a minimum of parts, back in the '60s. Nowadays, though...

Re: Ex-Apple VP Mike Abbott Joins General Motors as Exec Vice President, Software

#170

Post by linksnapzz »

danans wrote: post #151
tonymet wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a big problem, and a major reason why average car cost is ~ $40k now

The cost of a cars has risen lower than the rate of inflation for nearly the past 90 years, and for much of the time period when cars were getting computerized (since the late 90s) average new car prices dropped rather than went up. All the while cars were getting safer (seat belts, airbags, crumple zones) and far more reliable. https://www.in2013dollars.com/New-cars/price-inflation The most recent price spike is a d…

The cost of a basic economy car, from the start of the emissions & safety era to today, is about double in constant dollars.
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