For over a century, the automobile has represented freedom, power, and the thrill of mechanical mastery. The connection between driver, machine, and road defined what it meant to own and love a car. But in today’s digital era, a different trend is unfolding. Cars are no longer just machines designed to take us from point A to point B. Increasingly, they resemble something else entirely: smartphones on wheels.

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[–] 55 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Imagine a car without cellular connectivity

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  • [–] 40 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    You mean, like the car that I drive currently? It’s pretty tough to picture, honestly.

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  • [–] 22 points 11 months ago (3 children)

    Archive link to an FAQ for the Slate electric trucklette that claims no sim cards and minimum digital bits. No clue if it will be a good vehicle so don't take this as an endorsement. https://archive.ph/PMKpC

    Anyone know other options?

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  • [–] 5 points 11 months ago

    Find a car that fits your needs and then pull the fuse powering the sim card before it leaves the lot. If it breaks, put the fuse back and don't buy it.

    My 2019 corolla lost the right speaker and mic access when I did that. I fixed the right speaker by crossing some wires, and the mic hasn't really been needed enough for me to dig deeper to fix it.

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  • [–] 8 points 11 months ago (3 children)

    Have they ever made an electric car that didn't have that fucking SHIT ?

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  • [–] 4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

    You can convert an older car to electric. As basic as it gets but with a new mode of power

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  • [–] 4 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    When I ask car people about that they say (basically) "no, it won't fit".

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  • [–] 3 points 11 months ago

    Yes, there can be challenges about where to put the batteries, and some vehicles are certainly easier than others. But that hasn't stopped a LOT of people from doing it anyways.

    30 seconds of internet searching will show plenty of retrofits. One guy retrofitted a 1980s Delorean with a Chevy Bolt electric powertrain, and now it accelerates twice as fast as it ever did with gasoline.

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