cross-posted from: https://linux.community/post/2362831
I don’t know how extended this is, but apparently there are car makers selling cars with no keys. Instead you download a proprietary app and use it to access your car.
I like being practical and talking to a car to turn the volume up or down, to open the door or to turn the temperature higher are things I don’t need nor want. Give me mechanical levers, reachable stalks and no proprietary bloatware. I don’t need a movie theater on wheels.
Imagine an early 2000s car running on an electric motor. That’s what I want.
What car maker is not providing keys? As far as I know, app control is optional.
Many car “keys” are wireless tokens nowadays (tbf I’m not sure of the security compared to traditional keys, I only heard some brands like Kias were very easy to steal in the last few years).
Mostly we want a million buttons with tactile feedback, I’m with OP! I would also like an EV “econobox”: a sensible shitty boxy lightweight car with a small LiFePo4 battery that charges fast. Spend 100$ more dollars on the charger and cooling goddammit, or make THAT upgradable!
The Kia’s that where easy to steal used cheap keys though, the push to start Kia’s where not being stolen.
Thanks good to know
Unfortunately not all theives understood the difference, so while your car might not be stolen, you could still end up with a smashed window.
My mate ended up with a smashed window and fucked up ignition only to have his car NOT stolen because it’s a standard hahaha
Not only that but make it cheaper and give me the option of power windows or not. I can crank my own windows up and down, I don’t need it “motorized”. Let’s make cars available to the masses again.
The reason there aren’t anymore crank windows isn’t because it’s a mandatory upsell, it’s because motorized is probably as cheap or even cheaper thanks to modern manufacturing and the preference of 99% of other people.
Yup, now that they are so widespread and reliable putting a cheap motor and wiring it up is most likely cheaper than designing and testing a mechanical connection for specific models.
Rivians come with only a single key fob, and it’s not all that reliable either. Two “key cards” but those suck in their own ways
At least in the US, You will struggle to find a car newer than like 2015 that doesn’t have a screen, and it’s basically impossible to find one newer than 2018 because it’s mandated at the federal level to have a backup camera installed.
you may not find full on infotainment system, there will be some sort of screen involved. But many manufacturers go by the methodology that if they’re installing a screen anyway for backup cam they might as well just go the whole nine yards and have it be a full-on infotainment system
Sadly I don’t have any recommendations, but I’m considering taking this plunge as well so I’ll keep my eye out on this thread
One of the reasons is that in i think 2018, they made backup cameras mandatory.
EDIT: 2018 NOT 2016
I’m unclear if you’re the reason Pika has an edit to their post, or if you just missed the fact that they said that. Although they said 2018, you said 2016.
That is my bad it is 2018.
I edited a few times within the first few minutes of posting it, so it’s also possible that it didn’t Federate the changes, but no I haven’t edited it since the first five ish minutes of the post
Dacia Spring is literally 2000 car converted to EV. I love it.
Sounds like you’re looking for something that only exists in the used market, which may be your plan anyway.
The Mitsubishi imiev never took off, but it’s probably the least-frilly EV you can buy. But as Doug Demuro will tell you, it’s a bit quirky. Assuming you’re American, yes, is was released in the States but no, you probably wouldn’t have heard of it. I’m not sure I’d recommend it necessarily, but it’s an option
That said, I have a Chevy Bolt. Pretty easy to find on the used market (and with that, get service if you need it) no dumb features nobody asked for. It does have Android Auto/Apple Car Play, which is actually pretty awesome (I believe it’s the 2022+ models with wireless car play). Their base models are pretty barebones (some don’t even have DC fast charging, watch out for that) but higher trims do have some nice features to them. It’s kind of a car you’ve seen on the road but didn’t know you actually wanted.
By the way, backup cameras became mandated a while ago. I’m not sure the screen size requirements (I’ve seen some cars put it in the rear view mirror, which was kinda cool actually) but since most cars need a screen now to support that, and higher trim levels will use that screen for other things, and making multiple pieces of hardware for the same car is an annoyance for car makers, you’ll probably see a screen on most cars. Just FYI.
EV Conversion Kits is probably your best bet.
I would like to know more.
There’s a lot of EV kits and also people converting petrol cars for a living, f.e. this little beetle:
https://youtu.be/kYmMrMEwl94?t=282Just search for <Car maker> <Car model> <Car model year> EV Conversion Kit and you’ll find a lot of hits such as the first hit on duckduckgo for VW Golf 2005 EV Conversion Kit that may be bought with or without installation:
https://ev-evolution.eu/solution/volkswagen-golf-ev-conversion-kit/
the latest Citroën e-c3 is super-stripped. physical key, no frills at all. the range also takes a hit to keep costs down though.
I hate the mentality of “people who don’t want premium features just can’t afford them”. No bro we don’t want them because they suck.
I was given a smart watch yesterday
I wore it for 20 minutes and immediately gave it to a crack addict
All the fking doodads that exist nowadays are just trash - I literally cannot comprehend why anybody wants them in their life! They do not really seem to add anything, they’re just a meaningless trifling distraction and another shiny toy that ends up in the trash heap, as far as I can see
You’re certainly welcome to your opinion, any new doodad that’s one persons shiny new toy that ends up in a trash heap is someone else’s useful tool.
Personally I could argue my smartwatch is better than my phone: it can do almost every phone can, almost everything I used to carry a wallet for, plus warn me if I’m dead …. And it doesn’t let me waste an evening doom scrolling
this is true. (source: I was the watch recipient and am addicted to the “crack” version of cocaine)
Go test drive some cars that aren’t Teslas. None of them require phone apps. Pretty sure all the manufacturers are also walking back the touch screen nonsense and I think Kia is the best in the US right now for EVs with physical buttons.
I truly feel sorry for anybody that is in the not sweet spot I guess the sour spot of not being able to select the vehicle of their choice due to economic factors, and being forced to buy one of these used pieces of shit that is replete with garbage technology that does not serve the user in any meaningful way. Oh my God, I’ve never one from that generation and I never will, and I consider myself blessed. Just operating a microwave nowadays is torture, give me a fucking chunky button and let me press the fucking thing.
Does it have microphones, other surveillance sensors, and internet access?
Because if this baby is airgapped, I’m buying.
Carice is a cool option.
An old school, no frills sports car, that happens to be all electric.Sure, they’re hand built to order. But in that class, they’re surprising cheep. Less than €50K if I recall
Imagine an early 2000s car running on an electric motor. That’s what I want.
Step one: Buy 2000s car.
Step two: Converted it to EV.
Step three: Done!There are business made on this promise with more or less benefits of economies of scale.
You can find videos how people do it on YouTube.
Example: https://www.fellten.com/system/mini
The Kona EV still has physical controls for the A/C and other essential stuff. It uses a key fob though, just like most regular cars nowadays. But at least it’s not a card or something.
Sweet fuck I’ve been over in the Canada boards for too long. You have no idea how much “No Frills EV” just hurt my brain lmao. Worst part is, my brain out the capitals there.
The profit margins on cheap cars isn’t high enough yet to introduce EVs at that price.
Closest you can probably get is the Corolla hybrid base model. It’s not full EV and sadly isn’t even a plugin hybrid.
The profit margins on cheap cars isn’t high enough yet to introduce EVs at that price.
What price? OP does not talk about cost at any point, they only require specific features.
“No frills”
Right now EVs come with frills. The leaf, bolt, and that Mitsubishi golf cart were the no-frills EVs.
There actually are super cheap evs at the no frills used car market price, they’re just illegal to import in the us due to protectionist policies.
What do you mean? Dacia Spring exists and it starts at £15k. That’s pretty much a budget petrol car price.
I’m only aware of US market.
VW sold the e-Golf in the US between 2015 and 2019, which was available with physical key and no-frills interior - some base models even sported an analog instrument cluster!
I know they’re not for everyone, but Smart Cars are actually devoid of Smart as in IOT. If you’re not huge, get in one and try it out. I have a gas one and it’s my favorite car ever, and I last drove a Porsche Boxter. They’re fast enough, sip gas (or electricity I’m sure) and are so easy to drive. The turning radius is like 90 degrees and it’s so nice having the front of the car stop where your feet are instead of a giant protruding hood. They’re very cheap too and they’re made by Mercedes so it’s easy enough to get them worked on.
Depending on the car, you might be able to just rip the modem out of it and so you just use your key fob to enter. Essentially making it a dumb car
Are there instructions/hobbiest forums for just that?
A while back I was looking in to this and I just did some quick online searches and found youtube videos of guys doing it. Not sure if there are forums dedicated to it, that would be interesting though.
