The only thing that constantly improves and is really worth considering is safety. I am not even saying about active safety features but the passive ones. They are also in constant development.
Are children really harder to hear? Old cars were louder. How much sound did they cover up just with noise? How much more could you hear in an old car compared to a modern electric car?
Also I think we've done enough damage to the world with the (British accent) "what about the children" arguments...
And I'm left wondering: have these people ever been in a modern car? Just sitting in it blocks out more of the environment than my open-backed earbuds. If I can drive one of those without causing an accident, surely I can listen to podcasts on my (much slower) bicycle without causing an accident too!
I see it now where people bellyache about headphones and runners and don't really get it. I don't have the volume jacked up and I know where to look for traffic.
On a bike I don't want headphones just because I'm mixing with so much more traffic and want that awareness.