This is an interesting topic. And an interesting idea for a hack: Hacking a Tesla Model S to work without any connection to Big Brother, eh, Tesla, I mean.
Root a Tesla?! Sounds fun.
Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
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Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#12This is very troubling to read. I can understand that tampering with an automobile might pose safety concerns. I can also understand that Tesla is trying to protect its brand. That being said, the fact that Tesla is monitoring individual cars in a way that they can detect when you're used the Ethernet port is seriously Orwellian. I can only imagine this will get worse as cars become more autonomous.
Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#13This is a good place to share this with geeks who may not be into cars: I drive a 1994 Mercedes (W124 chassis). One of the most reliable cars ever made. Simple to repair yourself. A TON of info available online for anything you could want to fix.
Pretty much (probably 100%) of all parts on the car are available super cheap as chinese replacements because the model was around for so long and so many of them are still on the road (I just replaced the car window regulator - normally a few hundred $$, got it on amazon delivered for $23).
Made to be serviced/repaired. Quite a bit of fun doing it too. You can pick one up for $2k and it will probably do another 200k miles no problem.
And the best bit? FAR FAR more environmentally friendly than a new Tesla. I'll leave that up to you to figure out ;)
Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#14it's a $100+k car.
it's a luxury, anyway you look at it, not a necessity for anyone.
it's not the same as a car but the same as a money pit Lamborghini.
stop trying to make Tesla happen so hard, internet yuppies.
Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
I refuse to buy products like that. If it doesn't operate stand alone then you can keep it.
There should also be an easy way to disconnect your car from the network, because apparently, newer cars are always connected and reporting on your activities[1]. 1. http://www.businessinsider.com/ford-exec-gps-2014-1
Or visa-versa, let me tap into that data connection for free for internet access.
Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#16The "paywalled workshop manual" requirements are common to every manufacturer. The only reason service manuals are available for free online for other modern cars is that they're ripped from the manufacturer's pay portal, not that the manufacturer is supplying them out of the goodness of their hearts. And the service prices are pretty much in line with other luxury cars at the price point. Not that that really defend…
Do most manufacturers only supply manuals when legally compelled to?
If you pay for alldata or michelin ondemand you get access to all of that.
Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#17This is an interesting topic. And an interesting idea for a hack: Hacking a Tesla Model S to work without any connection to Big Brother, eh, Tesla, I mean.
But you want a connection to Big Brother, you want free super charging, you want software updates, you want free internet access and navigation, you want the free Spotify Account. My Car wouldnt have AutoPark, Summon, Traffic Aware Cruise Control, Lane Assist, Spotify, Autopilot, 50 ekstra Horse Power and so on, without the software updates the connection to Big Brother provides. (Euro Spec S85D)
How is the extra HP related to the Big Brother connection?
Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#18None of this seems "throwaway" to me. It just means that rather than build a product that ends up being repaired by a distributed army of mechanics, they are going "full stack" and aiming to repair everything in-house. To me that seems like the ideal system - some people like the author might enjoy repairing their own cars, but I would rather not.
Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#19I don't think anyone who buys a Telsa for 100 grand cares the slightest bit about being forced to pay overpriced dealer service rates.
And it's not like a 'worn out' Telsa is going into the car crusher. Every part is going to be pulled from it and sold on eBay.
I look forward to being able to buy a Telsa motor for cheap on eBay. Maybe in 2026.
Re: Why I think Tesla is building throwaway cars
#20This is a good place to share this with geeks who may not be into cars: I drive a 1994 Mercedes (W124 chassis). One of the most reliable cars ever made. Simple to repair yourself. A TON of info available online for anything you could want to fix. Pretty much (probably 100%) of all parts on the car are available super cheap as chinese replacements because the model was around for so long and so many of them are still…
You should look up crash tests between cars considered safe in 1994 and modern cars.
I saw one for two Renault Espace models. The old one was so crumply compared to the new one, that the new one didn't even deploy airbags because there was no need. Both got top safety ratings when new.