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Comment by takumo | Hacker News Reader

This is the case for many, if not most, modern/high-tech cars, especially EVs.

The on-board systems have become very tightly coupled, if not monolithic to the point where a broken info unit will prevent the car from starting.

I had the infotainment system replaced in my e-Golf a few weeks ago, it took two technicians three days to install and configure to work with all the car's on-board systems.

Edit: If I _had_ to guess, I’d say this is because the car industry (especially electric) has been pushing to innovate features so rapidly that the time hasn't been available to engineer, test and prove decoupled systems.

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There's anti-theft considerations at play with how car electronics are coupled, reducing part count for cost savings, and I think a bit of the classic right to repair vs corporate interests dynamic happening. Automakers have been known to intentionally make things difficult to work on.

Yes, electronics are highly coupled, but in the case of the e-Golf it will at least function as a car with no infotainment system (unlike the Tesla). And MIB replacement in the VW MQB platform is simple so I don’t understand what took the techs so long. It’s one unit in the glovebox and guided coding using ODIS, the VW dealer tool (which is also available to independent shops albeit at a $1000/year fee, which is stupid and should be illegal). The VW units do have Component Protection which keeps them from simply plugging in, but with the aforementioned dealer tool, so long as it is legally obtained, a subscription to VW’s anti theft coding service Geko is already included and the process is very straightforward.

Why won't they think about these things? Do they really don't care or is it that we don't understand something very important in making cars?! I want to know !

It reduces cost and makes it easier to give a nice user experience when people are test driving. It makes it easier to manage all the different aspects of the car from a single interface.

The primary reason the car is made, in the first place, is to be sold at a profitable price. That is priority #1.

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