[tomxor]

> While many many of the big players (VW, Toyota, Honda, etc.) are going to match specs when it comes to battery range and whatnot, I haven't seen any indications that any of them intend to follow suit with the software.

I'm hoping for the opposite, a return to basics, reliability and separation of concerns, not 3 billion lines of code running every single part of the car with a transistor - sure electric engines need some fundamental low level software and computer, and you can argue it's more fundamental to the engine than modern ICE computers.. but the whole infotainment center hub network bullshit, I'd really rather not have it all tied together, give me the machine, and independently some electrics like windows, mirrors, radio... if there must be a media center, at least make it separate from the computer that makes the car operate.

... and if you hadn't guessed, i'm obviously not an autopilot/selfdriving proponent so I don't care about that argument for integration.

[Angostura]

I’m hoping for twisty knobs and flicky switches

[romwell]

They will come.

In a the world of music equipment (synths in particular), it went like this:

--70s: twisty knobs and flicky switches.

--80s: We got CPU's now! Forget knobs, we got button arrays now.

--90s: We got LCDs now! Forget buttons, here's one rotary control and menus on menus.

--00s: If you pay us a lot, your menus will be on a touchscreen! Neat? No?

.....No?

:(

--10's: twisty knobs and flicky switches.

Walk into Guitar Center synth section, it's all about spaceship-kind of controls (one physical component for one parameter, and tons of blinkenlights).

It turned out (suprise!) that all those menu-driven controls are cheaper and easier to make, but were not what the users needed nor enjoyed.

These days, it's all about the analog equipment having digital control with a physical, tactile user interface (and no menus except for some niche parameters).

It really looks like cars are following the same path.

[elihu]

If cars are to follow synthesizers, the next step is a Eurorack-style modular dashboard where you can fit instruments and controls from a wide variety of vendors that adhere to some basic standards and interact mostly via analog voltages.

Re-patching your dash while you're driving is probably taking the metaphor a bit too far, though.

[alex7o]

This sounds awfully lot like the car stereos from the 90 that you can change with aftermarket ones, and you can remove the front part so nobody steals it from you.

[bch]

Let’s hope Mazda blazes a popular trail[0].

[0] https://thenewswheel.com/mazda-eliminates-touch-screens/