[slt2021]

What is so special about EV cars? its just an appliance to move from point A to point B, even the electric motor inside EV is from household appliances like washer/dryer.

the question should be: Should American consumers be allowed to drive green environmentally friendly cars for $10k or should they be forced to shell out $50k (+interest) to billionaire elon musk

[cpursley]

Tesla is not the only American company making $50k plus EVs. And China even makes some wild $100k plus models.

[slt2021]

Does Tesla or any American company make $10k EVs? with the same features like tesla model 3 ?

[cpursley]

No Chinese company makes $10k EVs with Tesla level quality, performance and safety.

The Mi SU7, a pretty competitive EV with Model 3, starts at around $30k (still a pretty decent price).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaomi_SU7

[sodality2]

> What is so special about EV cars?

Irrespective of what country, and your belief/disbelief in the threat level, you have to see that a highly internet-reliant device that would bring much of the country anywhere (thanks to car-centric infrastructure) would be a perfect target for a hostile nation, no? With one click you cripple the workforce. Again, speaking nothing of which country is or is not hostile.

[slt2021]

how would that car get access to Internet, if wireless providers are controlled by the USA ?

Verizon, ATT, Tmobile and their APNs are controlled by the FCC, and any regulation can force vehicle traffic to be isolated if there is credible threat.

but, why would BYD or other nation sabotage its own future profits by bricking cars?? it doesn't make sense.

if I sell you gadget, I would never brick it, cause I am going to lose all future profits

[sodality2]

> how would that car get access to Internet, if wireless providers are controlled by the USA ?

> Verizon, ATT, Tmobile and their APNs are controlled by the FCC, and any regulation can force vehicle traffic to be isolated if there is credible threat.

This response would *not* be soon enough. One response from a server, and the car could be bricked forever, explode/short circuit causing a fire, self-drive into the nearest government building, etc. A car is a huge weapon, especially when remotely controlled. This software could be pre-installed from the factory, with commands injected via side channels. I could imagine a hundred ways to do this.

> but, why would BYD or other nation sabotage its own future profits by bricking cars?? it doesn't make sense.

I'm precluding this situation with a background level of hostility between nations... they don't care about maximizing profit, but maximizing damage. It would be a government stepping in forcing this.

[slt2021]

its pure paranoia. first of all, I as a consumer, mature enough to understand risks and carry them myself, I dont need no government to babysit and censor what I am allowed to buy.

second, you assume China will resort to bricking civilian cars, when they have better options like actual weapons. Bricked car can easily be towed away, there is no way China can cause damage.

the best way for China is to keep manufacturing cars and selling them to USA for $$$ - this will ensure the relationships are beneficial to China (mutual trade is better than military conflict)

[sodality2]

> its pure paranoia. first of all, I as a consumer, mature enough to understand risks and carry them myself, I dont need no government to babysit and censor what I am allowed to buy.

You have the tools to reverse-engineer every single chip in your car to ensure they aren't backdoored?

> second, you assume China will resort to bricking civilian cars, when they have better options like actual weapons.

Again, my argument has nothing to do with China, I'm simply saying cars would be a great thing to weaponize. Much easier than smuggling a weapon into the US, you just sell a car to a consumer and you have functionally a remote-controllable bomb.

> Bricked car can easily be towed away, there is no way China can cause damage.

Not if it's driven away and used in an attack first. did you read my reply? You still haven't actually responded to my point that internet-connected cars would be an excellent weapon by a hostile nation.

[slt2021]

I dont, but there are plenty indie hackers who would be happy to buy cheap $10k car and reverse engineer it.

Any backdoors would be easily detectable and preventable just by .... not connecting the car to the Internet, or folding connection to isolated VPN not accessible from the outside.

all vehicle traffic can be inspected and sinkholed with IoT firewall, if you really want it

[hn_acc1]

All those telecom companies have also been infiltrated by China RECENTLY, and they don't even know how long or how badly, AIUI.

Good point though. My current cars drive just fine without internet - I would hope future cars would continue to do so, even if GPS doesn't work, can't find a charging station, etc. Otherwise, I'll be stuck with gas cars until the day they take my license..

[slt2021]

they are using Cisco/Juniper/Arista equipment, so they are infiltrated by US companies mostly, especially NSA, FBI, and CIA backdoors