Re:Mazda's $10 Subscription for Remote Start Sparks Backlash
by _moof on Monday September 30, 2024 @04:50PM
(#41701939)
It only requires cellular because that's how Mazda designed it. Plenty of remote start systems have been built without requiring cellular.
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Re:Mazda's $10 Subscription for Remote Start Sparks Backlash
by Terr_ on Monday September 30, 2024 @04:58PM
(#41702021)
There may be a blurring of use-cases here, between:
1. Starting a car from a short distance in order to pre-heat in cold temperatures or because you're in a huge hurry. (Or paranoid of car-bombs, I guess.)
2. Starting a car from a long distance on someone else's behalf so that they can borrow it for some reason.
While I think #1 is most common, #2 overlaps with other "call support to unlock your car" or "disable if stolen"-type features. So it's likely manufacturers are motivated to use cellular connections "because it's already probably there for the other stuff."
P.S.: That said I really don't like the lack of owner control implied but some of those systems.