Nope, more like “pay this to unlock the features x,y and z”

This is already being done by moet major brands these days. They can only withhold luxury features like heated seating for now, but who knows when they take away basic features such as radio, replace it with a Spotify app, and demand a special subscription to listen tk music in your car.

I was trying to look up a Tesla special case (where upgrading the infotainment unit removes the radio unless an additional $500 upgrade is purchased) and learned that several EV manufacturers have already removed AM radio because electric motors interfere with that frequency range.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/10/business/media/am-radio-c...

"Carmakers noted that drivers can still stream AM radio on apps and not all electric vehicles have dropped it."

Removing hardware features is fine by me. Selling hardware features that can't be used, and rent-seeking with them, is user-hostile.

Want to drive without this awful music? 10$

I see ransomware coming to cars.

Why awful music when it could be ads?

"Please pull over and watch this message from our sponsors to continue your journey"

People would 100% be jailbreaking this stuff.

Or just physically cutting open the seat and bypassing the switch

Unless it has an AI, “you have violated the integrity of this vehicle, starting protocols have been disabled. Please contact your local representative.”

"drink a verification can to continue"

A microcontroller is probably enough, no need to throw in the big AI word.

Very few people. What percentage of iPhone users have their phones jailbroken? 0.0001%

Almost no one will do it - it's a lot of work, loss of warranty, loss of small conveniences.

I used to always jailbreak my iphone (mostly because I was one of the first owners and had been doing that since it was possible). The last time I did it, the apps were just too sketchy and wanted too much permissions. I didn't really see the value in it. Maybe things are better these days, but I haven't checked in the last 6-7 years.

> loss of warranty

In the U.S., this is not true. If Apple claims so, they are violating the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Can you refer to the specific section that prevents it?

I'm not an expert at legalese or have access to LexisNexis, but after a quick Google search, I think this is it:

> a warrantor cannot, as a matter of law, avoid liability under a written warranty where a defect is unrelated to the use by a consumer of “unauthorized” articles or service.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2018-title16-vol1/xm...

your warranty is now void

your resale value is now zero

your service options have been limited to third party workshops only

> loss of warranty

In the U.S., this is not true. If the manufacturer claims so, they are violating the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

You're telling me that I can go to the U.S. and purchase a car, perform unauthorised modifications to its systems and the manufacturer still has to honour the warranty? That sounds excellent!

As long as what you do doesn't cause the damage that you want them to repair under the warranty. They still have to honor the warranty for the unaffected systems.

...and after a car accident you get all the blame and other legal consequences for having tampered with your car.

There is oddly little ECU/BSI/onboard computer hacking (beyond flashing a tune, mostly to change engine specific settings). Or maybe there is, but I never managed to find an active community that goes beyond ecu tunes. I guess it's due to how fragmented the hardware is (even if most auto manufacturers usually source the components and systems from the same vendors).

Cars are too expensive to void the warranty. But I agree in spirit.