I am excited, this is what my husband and I have been waiting for - a regular vehicle with no bells and whistles just to raise the price
Fun fact, this isn’t $20K but that’s what it takes to get people, to share the article. The actual arrival says that it’s $20K after government rebates in the US. So it’s actually expensive without tax dollars.
I wonder how much petrol/diesel would cost if the government didn’t subsidise it. And if they were actually held liable for oil spills.
Yup! And hopefully starts a new thing that other makers get behind!
There’s no radio, no Bluetooth, and no speakers of any kind beyond for those required to play basic warning chimes.
Many will consider this a cost-cutting step too far, but the interior was designed for ease of upgrading, with easy mounting space for anything from a simple soundbar to a full sound system.
There’s an integrated phone mount right on the dashboard, but there’s nothing stopping you from bringing something even larger. I expect the low-cost Android tablet and 3D-printing communities to have a field day coming up with in-car media streaming solutions.
This is 100% it.
All I want is a modular car system. Everything modular. Dashboard. Body panels. Whatever. I want 3+ cars possible on one frame, and to not need anything more than basic tools to swap parts around.
Gm said they’d build a sled drivetrain that they could just plop bodies on top of but that never happened sadly.
Wonder why? Seems to me like a money printing machine for them, the factory and non- factory repair shops and the aftermarket.
Unless it’s seen as a way to hide your car from illegal activities, which well now that I think about it is probably the reason they didn’t follow through with the idea.
framework truck😭
Damn, an electric truck I might actually want. It’s a shame it’s made in America
My exact thought! I wish a Canadian startup did exactly that, I’d buy one immediately
And no buyers
Hell yes, take my money. As long as it’s not a limit and manages to keep its range and I can get parts fuck yes
You know, I like the design. If I can take a wrench to it and customise it or repair broken stuff easily and for cheap, even better.
The range is kinda meh, but for working in remote sites, bringing a diesel generator is already par for the course, and that bed looks like it fits a lot of stuff.
No stereo sucks though.
I often drive long distances for work, and I NEVER listen to the radio. All my listening is through headphones off my phone. I even keep a spare pair charging at all times. Not only does it sound a million times better than any crappy car system, it’s far easier to take phone calls. I hate holding my phone while driving. It’s also easier to hear the map navigation lady.
All my listening [in my car] is through headphones off my phone.
This is unsafe at best. Illegal at worst.
Nonsense, how is it either?
Too loud? I’m a musician, I value my hearing, so I don’t play anything too loud. I always use earbuds, so I can always hear emergency vehicles. Besides, I’ve heard plenty of car speaker systems that were loud enough to block out sirens easily.
Illegal? In what way? In states that have banned holding phones, they encourage hands-free phone calls. If speaking on the phone is considered a distraction, then why isn’t speaking to another passenger, or listening to music? Both would be just as distracting as a hands free call. Modern cars all connect to a cell phone automatically, and take calls through the speaker system. If it’s illegal, then why are car companies allowed to install them as standard equipment? I don’t use that system only because I like the audio quality of my ear buds far more.
By your logic, sound systems and phones in cars should just be totally illegal.
It’s often illegal to have headphones on both ears.
I don’t know why you’re trying to claim it shouldn’t be illegal to a random internet stranger. Most things that are illegal shouldn’t be, but the HOA types that care about rules are also the ones who want to fuck rules so bad they get into positions of power. So if you want to fix it, go be a rule fucker. Or Luigi the rule fuckers.
It’s a lot easier to block out emergency sirens at normal volume levels vs the stereo where you have to have already lost your hearing before it’s loud enough to block a siren. The counterpoint to this is when the siren is actually in the music, which is why I don’t listen to certain rap while driving anymore.
I will buy this immediately if it’s even close to this price point.
(after federal incentives)
:|
That’s 25-27k for a new electric truck, that’s not bad.
Aight but does it have cruise control? If so it’s still too much. But they’re almost there.
It should have cruise control. Otoh most people driving work trucks drive at like half the speed limit, so maybe they’d also set their cruise control at half the speed limit.
This will never come to market. Perhaps in a different timeline, but not this one.
Agree. Elon… Err Doge will change regulatory rules until they run out of money.
Why not?
Please make a 4x4 model I will definitely buy one.
Definitely interested…
“No touchscreen” is a really great selling point imo
Every smart feature a vehicle *doesn’t *have is a selling point for me. I want my car to be dumb as a boot.
Yep, the more software it has, the less I want it. And I’m saying that as a software engineer.
After reading the article and the website, I can’t find anything that explicitly says there is no network connection built into the vehicle.
The instrument panel is a screen, and will be used to display the backup camera video. There is some computer capable of handling video processing and displaying the instrument graphics - so more than just low-level electronics to handle the battery and drive control. It could have built-in GPS, it could have 5G, it could still be collecting and sharing data on driving habits &etc, it could be subsidized by that on the backend. Just because those functions aren’t displayed to the end user doesn’t mean they aren’t in the system.
Everything you describe could be handled by a single ESP 32 module but they probably do have much more computing power than that.
Other articles seem to indicate that it would need you to use your phone to perform updates on the onboard computer.
I guess this doesn’t preclude the possibility of other types of embedded surveillance.
I find this minimalism strangely appealing. Unfortunately, I do not live on a farm. I hope this thing is useful to those who do, though.
Because a decafe old TN panel touchscreen and a lick of paint was what made cars 70k.
As an FYI, (In the United States) all modern cars will have to have some kind of screen (whether built in the mirror, on the dash, or as part of the gauge system) as all cars are required to have backup cameras as of 2018.
Starting in 2029 all cars will be required to have automatic braking technology as well.
We’re never going to be able to purchase new cars that are completely dumbed down ever again, but with how many lives it will save I’d say it’s worth it.
I’m glad that there are some companies that are willing to offer cars with the bare minimum of features at least. I personally would prefer having automatic windows over crank, but if someone wants to save money more power(har har) to them!
EDIT: weather vs whether Braking vs breaking
It is a legal requirement now to have back up cameras. This thing also doesn’t have any airbags, or seatbelts in the back when converted. There is nothing connected to the HVAC controls, you would need a heater box. They haven’t even bothered with a plywood mock interrior is all just 3D printed garbage, literally falling apart in the reviewers hands.
The Chinese have tried this approach for low volume projects with a space frame and bonded plastic and carbon fibre panels, but its just too labour intensive to be practical for any sort of volume. The space frame still has to be painted, so you don’t save any money in a painting setup.
Way over-thinking it.
Europe and Japan 10-15 years ago all had radios with 4x6 inch no-touch displays for pre-loaded GPS with no internet connection. They switch to backup cameras when in reverse.
America doesn’t need to invent anything here, this is old technology widely used by large parts of the rest is the world.
Gross. Cars are a dead end for humanity.
We need hover boards. Though I’ve been told they don’t work on water.
