[giantg2]

But the concept of water being fed through pipe, from a reservoir, chlorination, etc have been around a long time. Sure implementation details change, but they and the concepts they build off of have been around. You mention pvc, copper, and pex (lead is over 50 years old and many have been replaced). Those are just materials. How do they affect end user on a daily basis?

How long has electrical be 120v AC? How long has auto voltage been 12v vs 5v?

Details, materials, and implementation change (building off of prior versions), concepts and overarching system designs are slow to change.

[emodendroket]

That feels like we're stretching the claim a whole lot. The "basic concept" of a Tesla isn't that different than a Model T but I think most people would reject the claim that cars haven't really changed much.

[giantg2]

Road design and laws have mostly stayed the same in the past 50 years. How about controls (pedals, wheel, etc) - more or less the same as well (subject to regulations).

There are similarities in your example. The fact that Tesla has autopilot and is an EV represent two of the biggest moves away from traditional car concepts. If you used an ICE car I would say the concepts haven't changed much.