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Jailbreaking Used Teslas

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221–230 of 296 posts

Re: Jailbreaking Used Teslas

#221

The worst part isn't even listed in the article - Tesla is remotely disabling fast charging on all salvage cars across all networks, regardless of what the actual damage is. If it was just limited to the supercharger network I would somewhat understand, it's their network and I don't think it's a huge deal to disallow salvage cars on it. But they are removing the ability to charge even at third party chargers, basica…

I will be blunt, I really wish "salvage" cars had no right to exist. There is insufficient consistency between states as to what can be titled as such and still driven on our roads. You can get on the road most of the time just fixing cosmetic items and inspection in some states more concerned with emissions than much else; some states don't even check for working ABS or airbags. I think companies like Tesla are corr…

In some sense I agree that the certification process is way too loose for cars, but 1) it's more than salvage cars that are the issue 2) it's not really clear that remote disabling a feature is doing anything to help.

Re: Jailbreaking Used Teslas

#222
post #6

All I want is the work truck equivalent. I don't want all the features. I want it to be cheap and just have basic features. It needs to be reasonably repairable too.

Electric cars just haven't reached that market yet, with its low margins. You'll have to wait a while longer.

Re: Jailbreaking Used Teslas

#223
post #5

Maybe Tesla should link these features to a user's account, not the vehicle. If I sell my iPhone, I'm not selling the apps that I have installed on it. A side effect of this approach is that you could get a new Tesla and log in to activate the features you already paid for. If you crash your Model 3 and insurance buys you a new one, should you have to pay for Autopilot again? That said, that approach may piss off peo…

[deleted]

Re: Jailbreaking Used Teslas

#224
post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any car in the EU that is changed after certification needs to be recertified or have the update tested. The day Tesla updates something that causes someone to get hurt Tesla will be sued into the ground as all software updated cars that haven't had their update tested are illegal. It is also illegal to change a car to make more HP (there's a limit, AFAICR it is at 5%) without getting it recertified. While Tesla don'…

Frankly a lot of stuff Tesla does makes me wonder how they can get away with it but I guess they're operating in a permissive regulatory environment.

They benefit from being a first mover with more information than the regulatory bodies, who are also badly fragmented and less then effective in this administration. Cars are regulated by a confusing patchwork of state and federal regulation.

My guess is they know when they have bad accidents where they have an issue and quickly pay out and secure NDAs. (They prove this when they aggressively contest claims made by customers in public)

Eventually, an autopiloted Tesla will cause an accident affecting something like a 10 passenger limo or interstate bus that will trigger an NYSB investigation. That’s likely to crack the facade on all manner of bullshit the company does.

Re: Jailbreaking Used Teslas

#225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I understand it, if you buy a non-salvage used car from another individual then the package follows the car. If you buy a salvage car then the package does not follow it as the car is officially junk (it also loses warranty, etc). If you buy a used car from Tesla they will remove the package before sale. There's one case where Tesla apparently messed up and didn't remove the package from a car they re-sold until a…

A salvage title doesn't necessarily mean the car is junk, though. The fact that you can revive a salvage title clearly shows this. A lot of the cars my family has driven were revived by my father, it is economical and more sustainable in my opinion. I personally don't support any attempts by auto makers to make cars more disposable.

Culture of throw-away cars that Tesla is promoting is extremely at odds with their environmental message.

Re: Jailbreaking Used Teslas

#226
post #60

How long until Tesla (or any manufacturer) remotely disables the ignition on all used cars until the new owner pays them to turn it back on. Its only fair. After all, the new owner just bought a hunk of metal from the previous owner. They still need to purchase a license for features like starting the car.

I remember when Tesla issued that paid software update to make your car accelerate 0-100 a 0.1 seconds faster. If the hardware is there unchanged, why should the software update be a paid upgrade? It means the software was not good to begin with. Seems to me Tesla is trying to model a software development business, but they forget they're in the hardware business

This is from a company that has charged for future access to a feature that hasn’t existed for years.

Re: Jailbreaking Used Teslas

#229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might be helpful to distinguish a few different principles here, as it looks like some people are talking at cross-purposes in this part of the discussion. Personally, I would argue that the most important principle to protect the customer is that they should get what they pay for when they choose to buy a product. That product should not then be retrospectively nerfed through software shenanigans, either for them…

Excellent breakdown!

Yes, except common sense often does not apply in courts so better ask a real lawyer.

Re: Jailbreaking Used Teslas

#230
post #114
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe it required new algorithms to control the torque to not cause stress on the frame. Better algorithms and fine tuning are real work that deserve compensation. Maybe the intial algorithm was just simplistic and conservative.

Algorithms which only Tesla can give you. That is why it’s a dick move to sell it to you.

I think the definition of monopoly should be updated to include this case. When a company sells you hardware without documenting the API or making it fully accessible, then they have a monopoly over selling software for that particular hardware.

(A similar thing would hold for business models like selling printers for cheap but making the cartridges expensive, etc.)

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