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Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
41–50 of 207 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#42So the unit economics of electric cars are quite different from gas cars (ICE = internal combustion). Electric car companies don't make money on low cost cars -- and neither can ICE cars! Basic ICE cars are essentially sold at cost, sometimes as loss leaders, because the manufacturers make a long-tail of money supplying parts and maintenance for the cars over their lifetime; for 10-20 years they now have a (variable)…
> a) introduce SaaS subscriptions for electronic feature
All the manufacturing are talking about is the need for the 'vehicle as a platform' to sell subscriptions, services and driver data. I've seen so many PowerPoints about this, it's nauseating.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#43The Pagani Utopia is fairly new (launched September 2022) and is completely bereft of screens and gizmos. A complete work of art costing a mere $2.5 million
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#44Regulatory capture made it illegal to not add "safety features" that Detroit has the patents on/other types of manufacturing exclusivity (for example certified glass). Then the tariffs that prevent any meaningful foreign competition.
The rest is all the automakers run by the same consultanting firm and they don't really compete all that hard with eachother anymore.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#45Not sure about other regions, but in the EU, low tech cars are not allowed. Required safety systems include emergency breaking, emergency lane-keeping, intelligent speed assistance (car must use cameras or GPS to determine current speed limit), driver attention warning systems and many more. That fancy screen is really not a cost factor. These days you can buy after-market screens with Car Play and Android auto suppo…
It's wrong, we have the Twizy, the Ami and the Zoe in France.
The most technological advanced thing in the Zoe is the Bluetooth to play music.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#46Because 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.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#47Not sure about other regions, but in the EU, low tech cars are not allowed. Required safety systems include emergency breaking, emergency lane-keeping, intelligent speed assistance (car must use cameras or GPS to determine current speed limit), driver attention warning systems and many more. That fancy screen is really not a cost factor. These days you can buy after-market screens with Car Play and Android auto suppo…
It's wrong, we have the Twizy, the Ami and the Zoe in France. The most technological advanced thing in the Zoe is the Bluetooth to play music.
I guess that's why the Zoe has been discontinued: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Zoe
Twizy and Ami are not regular passenger vehicles. I am sure there are less requirements for them.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#48Citroën 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…
Do you mean Citroen Ami?
Thanks. Corrected.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#49Citroën 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…
Wouldn't it be fun if electric cars were the same way as PC's. Plug and play the parts you want, switch motor / battery.. choose a new chassis as you wish. And LED lights of course.
They kind of are. But at manufacturer level. Everyone now has like 3-4 chassis options and they build cars on top of that.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nobody manufacturing low tech electric cars in 2024?
#50Citroën 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…
Yes, if you want to go low-tech, Renault (and Dacia) is a good option. Before recent legislative troubles (lol), France was also working on a law that would give consumer unions (think iFixit but with publicly available finance) the right to give "repairability indexes" on multiple products, including cars, that would have to be presented to the buyer, even second-hand buyers.
Dacia Spring is made in China though so it will get hit hard by the recent taxes.