https://www.motortrend.com/news/drak...fined-vehicles

I found this article kind of interesting about evolving automotive operating systems for more simplicity. I think I know a little about cars and how they work, but that was mostly engines, suspension, brakes so this was a peek into the electronics side.

It is coming from an EV perspective but could also work with ICE vehicles. I am sure Tesla looked at vehicles in similar fashion when they started because they were starting with a clean sheet, but it was a little window into why current multi-chip controlled and decentralized systems exist and are kind of in the dark ages.

 

The best bit to me was this: “delivering precise torque-vectoring control of each wheel”.

I have been talking about this, and waiting for it, since 2017. As an AWD aficionado, and having owned many performance variants, I knew someone would do this. I thought it would be GKN with their E-Twinster system. I figured someone would do it on the front and rear half shafts. My Focus RS I used to own had GKN’s Twinster system on the rear half shafts. “Drift” mode was simply 30:70 and after having cornered in that car in every weather condition, especially hard rain, man did I say to myself, got damn, if someone puts this system on all 4 corners, Holy F! Talk about maximum traction and maximum fun.

Hopefully this will filter down as was mentioned. This kind of AWD technology combined with solid state batteries, well perhaps economies of scale will come into play and bring car prices down, instead of up every single year. The automotive industry is facing a huge backlash with the way MSRP’s are going.

 

It used to be the average person who was a car guy, if they had a place to put it, could afford a second car of some type on top of the daily. Right now, kind of impossible for most. But with China threatening to undercut everybody by a huge margin, I think the other automakers will have to adopt Tesla style "megacasting", cheap EV's and ....gulp......lower margins to compete. With the Slate pickup and Ford and others promising $30K EV's, maybe the days where most could have a second hobby car are returning.

On the Alfa board there is an offshoot on a thread where a couple people had bought Fiat 500e's at a discount and love the things. Not my cup of tea at that price. but I could see how it could be a fun commuter if you had another more serious car.

 

When I had more energy for it I was working on a design of a new ECU (then finished college, had a family and let it die) mainly because of the issues they are trying to address. Modern vehicle control systems are built upon old foundations layered with garbage for the most part. The whole way they work is stupid with the existence of even 20 year old technology, let alone todays tech.

I cant really say much of anything about it, but have also been involved with a company who is working to address some of this.

 

What's crazy is that TLSA is still up 48% in the last 6 months alone, up 10% since the presidency switch, despite there be viable competition, and the only thing from that competition entering the market is politics, which in 3 years can change dramatically. TSLA continues to defy almost all conventional investment wisdom.

 

Yeah generally speaking I always found it odd looking at a dash with all the circuitry and modules for the entertainment system, how alot of these systems are glitchy, and then I look at my 3 year old phone and I just laugh especially when you consider that Porsche charges you the equivalent of my phone for Android Auto in their cars. Then you look around a car, see all the various modules and such, and how little computing power it all has. When they download the data logs from the vehicle, it's so basic it's practically analog. The only caveat is how fast everything boots up, as in practically instantly, because the car needs to be ready at the turn of a key/push of a button.

Anyway, this archaic design makes modern cars with advanced featured so easy to steal now, as the encryption is laughable with the system being so easy to breach.

 

This is why I still put aftermarket alarms on my vehicles with cellular control and push notifications. If they are parked outside, I have surveillance cameras on them as well. And living in a castle doctrine state, well best of luck to you thieves. Would be some John Wick sheet.

 

Man, just know that can be overcome too by thieves nowadays. A buddy who has SEVERAL very nice vehicles had someone breach his home and steal his keybox safe bolted to the wall with keys to all of his cars. For whatever reason (I don't have all the exact details), they didn't take any of the cars. He had wifi cameras, cellular back-up alarm etc. and nothing went off at his house, so working theory is they had some sort of signal jammer that jammed the wifi and the cellular signal at their house while the thieves were there.

He's still going through the process of getting all of his cars rekeyed which is a massive PITA and $$$$.

 

Security measures are something I have worked on extensively. I work from home. I have surveillance cameras everywhere. Most are hardwired. Only 2 are WiFi based. And they are redundant. Double sided deadbolts. Security storm door. The windows are all multi pane and a PITA to punch through. Then there are glass break sensors, motion sensors. And then I have a trained Malinois. I’ve trained working dogs in Schutzhund, since 2008. They won’t beat my K9’s ears. Then there are firearms. To quote Neo in the Matrix, “lots of guns”, and I’ve had a lot of training. It helps that I don’t have expensive cars. the expensive and important vehicles I do own are in the garage, and that door has instant push notification when opened or closed. There are also padlocks on it, on the inside. And there are still more measures in place beyond that. My safe, there just isn’t room for you to leverage a crowbar or anything like it. It’s positioned in such a way, best of luck. All key fobs are in there. So best of luck to them. I even have keyed locks on the interior bedroom doors and closets that have anything worth any real value in them.

Nothing beats the K9’s ears. I’ve worked with Feds, DPS, and local cops, on the Schutzhund field. They are your best defense and alert system there is. I sleep well at night and don’t worry about my shit. I have Japanese vehicles that wouldn’t be worth a sophisticated thieves time. And plans for a rural move where game cams, invisible fence, via lasers. They’ll look for an easier target, or the higher priced shit. It helps knowing and using someone in the security field to analyze your setup. I have wired follow me cams in front/rear that put a rectangle on humans walking by. It pisses off strangers walking down the street and they probably think I’m aiming the cameras at them and tracking them. Nah, they do it themselves. It’s hilarious to see the reactions when I’m working on the weekdays.

 

Sounds like you have a pretty safe set-up, Tommy!