What feature in your car could you not live without?

[Intergalacticbits]

The best feature of my car is that it is so old that if it gets a ding in it.

I don't even care. 

 

I also like the feature that one of the sensors actually works best when its not installed but left loose in the glove box.

A mechanic insisted on it being installed one time.

The result was the car ran so absolutely horrible and crazy that another mechanic had to be paid to remove it to the glove box.

Where it works best.

 

This causes the check engine light to always be on but the car runs great. 

Penny from big bang theory, you go girl. 

 

I do change the oil on a regular basis though.

Which I think is the reason the car runs so good and has lasted so long.

[aDoomGuy]

1 minute ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

*Insert joke about BMWs and turn signals here*

What is turn signal? 

[Commodus]

32 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

I doubt that. Most places probably dont even have the electrical infrastructure to handle all of these electric cars. Also there are a lot of appliances that use gas. Such as lawn mowers, chain saws, weed trimmers, etc. Granted there might not be as many gas pumps at stations as they convert to also supply charging for EVs. 

 

You're right about smaller appliances, but just remember that we're talking not just 15-20 years out, but the years following that. I'd also say it's not so much about guaranteed disappearances as realizing that gas is no longer treated as the centre of the transportation universe. In addition to fewer pumps, you may notice that there's one less station in the neighbourhood, that prices are higher, that the local repair shop might not be as well-equipped to serve you as before.

 

That and transitions like this tend to involve momentum and sneak up on you if you're not following closely. Everything's the same... until it suddenly isn't.

[Donut417]

Just now, Commodus said:

there's one less station in the neighbourhood, that prices are higher, that the local repair shop might not be as well-equipped to serve you as before.

Most stations in the US are also party stores. From what I was told, gas station owners dont make much off gas if any. Its the people going in side and buying shit. 

 

1 minute ago, Commodus said:

that we're talking not just 15-20 years out

You think the electrical infrastructure will be read? I highly doubt it. We have issues where the utility some times has to do rolling blackouts in select areas due to demand. They would need to build a much more robust infrastructure to be able to support everyones charging. Then you have to take in the time it takes to charge some of these batteries. I think it will be much much longer before we are full electric. Granted some countries in Europe might be able to do it because of their physical size. By larger nations that have lots of infrastructure to replace It will take longer. Plus we now will need more electrical generation, and need to figure that out.

[Commodus]

56 minutes ago, 3 Lions said:

In the UK at least, the infastructure just isn't there yet for EV's. Far too many faulty charging points and software that's just too clunky, it's not really improved much since they became more mainstream on the roads. I think by the time they nail electric powered vehicles, another method will be around the corner and electric will be old news.

Electric is the end point though, isn't it? In the same way that you can't really evolve media much further than digital streaming. It's just a question of what batteries you use and how you charge it (say, solar or kinetic energy).

 

It's important to remember that we're talking roughly two decades out. A lot can and will change for the EV infrastructure in that time

[Commodus]

3 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

You think the electrical infrastructure will be read? I highly doubt it. We have issues where the utility some times has to do rolling blackouts in select areas due to demand. They would need to build a much more robust infrastructure to be able to support everyones charging. Then you have to take in the time it takes to charge some of these batteries. I think it will be much much longer before we are full electric. Granted some countries in Europe might be able to do it because of their physical size. By larger nations that have lots of infrastructure to replace It will take longer. Plus we now will need more electrical generation, and need to figure that out.

It'll be better-prepared, at least. Part of the fix comes through encouraging solar and other more distributed approaches to power. Faster charging could also allow for staggered charging cycles, or chargers that automatically reduce their charging 

 

The point being: we're about 15-20 years from the moment when you'll have to buy an EV if you want a new car, and a lot of our "I'll never give up X or Y" claims will go right out the window if they haven't already.

[Donut417]

8 minutes ago, Commodus said:

Part of the fix comes through encouraging solar and other more distributed approaches to power.

Im sorry but I just dont see it. Solar is not going to be the solution. Granted its part of the solution, but solar doesn't work everywhere. So we earthier take a trip backwards and use Coal and or Natural Gas or we have to hope that Fusion reactors become a thing and are viable. 

[Commodus]

2 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

Im sorry but I just dont see it. Solar is not going to be the solution. Granted its part of the solution, but solar doesn't work everywhere. So we earthier take a trip backwards and use Coal and or Natural Gas or we have to hope that Fusion reactors become a thing and are viable. 

It was just an example, to be clear, and I was also thinking of solar on homes in addition to dedicated farms. Wind, hydroelectric and other renewables will help, and are already playing a large role.

 

This is beside the point anyway: assuming the infrastructure is in place, how do car traditionalists adapt to the EV era? I'm sure some here will say they'll hold to gas cars until they have no choice, but I don't think that's realistic.

 

[Donut417]

8 minutes ago, Commodus said:

and I was also thinking of solar on homes in addition to dedicated farms.

There are a utility in Arizona I think it was that got a law passed about solar on customer homes couldn't not be sold to the operator. On top of the fact that Solar panels costs a bit and have to be removed when you need to do a new roof. 

 

9 minutes ago, Commodus said:

Wind, hydroelectric and other renewables will help, and are already playing a large role.

Wind needs lots of space. Hydroelectric is not a good source because it causes ecosystem damage. As you're changing the course or flow of the river. Not to mention if the utility gets cheap and doesn't maintain the dam, that causes issues as well. Like the Dam that failed here in Michigan. The only really good source of energy is Nuclear and thats a tough sell. 

 

Personally I think the big push for EV's will be in Europe. They are more about regulations on stuff like this. The US is unlikely to see a major push within a decade, maybe California if its doesn't burn down first. Remember the last time California pushed electric cars, it didn't go well for them. The fact is the infrastructure is the MOST important piece to the EV puzzle. Without one that can support charging god knows how many vehicles, we will never end our reliance on fossil fuels. With the way things are going, I dont see the infrastructure being ready. With many countries shutting down nuclear power plants that just makes it even more harder to even meet the current demand. 

 

17 minutes ago, Commodus said:

how do car traditionalists adapt to the EV era?

They will likely keep gas powered cars as long as they can. Besides going full electric, I expect us to go to self driving cars as the norm as well. Granted not for like a few decades, but I foresee all cars on the road being self driving. Thats the only way to keep everyone safe, you cant trust half the people on the roads now. Many cant handle the responsibility of safely driving their cars. 

[3 Lions]

For me it has to be the comfort. A lot of modern cars are just too stiff and jiggly and have hard seats, although saying that the French still do take the edge even with conventional suspension. Ultimately though nothing can come close in terms of comfort to Citroen's hydropneumatic system or BMC's hydrolastic system which later evolved into the hydragas system that was used in a lot of BL cars. 

[Monkey Dust]

1 hour ago, Commodus said:

It was just an example, to be clear, and I was also thinking of solar on homes in addition to dedicated farms. Wind, hydroelectric and other renewables will help, and are already playing a large role.

 

This is beside the point anyway: assuming the infrastructure is in place, how do car traditionalists adapt to the EV era? I'm sure some here will say they'll hold to gas cars until they have no choice, but I don't think that's realistic.

 

The tricky thing with renewables is energy storage, once we can crack that to cover when the sun doesn't shine (most of the year in the UK) and the wind doesn't blow (rarer in the UK) fossil fuel electricity is done. Well maybe, plenty of countries are still burning a shit ton of coal rather than cleaner natural gas, so world leaders not giving a shit might be a bigger issue.

 

Car enthusiasts adapting to EVs, it's a tough sell. Personally if I had the funds and somewhere to charge it I'd happily go EV as a daily  (ideally an i-Pace, but realistically a Zoe) and something Italian, red, fast & convertible for weekend use (or more realistically an MX-5 or Boxster). If your combustion engined car is only doing 1000-1500 miles a year it's not a big deal from a pollution perspective, especially when that's not the car you choose to sit in traffic jams in, it's the ones doing 20-30K a year that are a bigger problem. Arguably commercial vehicles are bigger problem still as they do multiples of the mileage that private cars do, while being heavier and less aerodynamic.   

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet

 

[Commodus]

1 hour ago, Donut417 said:

They will likely keep gas powered cars as long as they can. Besides going full electric, I expect us to go to self driving cars as the norm as well. Granted not for like a few decades, but I foresee all cars on the road being self driving. Thats the only way to keep everyone safe, you cant trust half the people on the roads now. Many cant handle the responsibility of safely driving their cars. 

Focusing on this (not to dismiss your earlier material, I just don't have that much of a beef with it and don't want to derail the thread).

 

I suspect there will be some holdouts, but this strikes me as the classic case of people swearing they'll hold their ground without having to put their convictions to the test. It's easy to say you'll keep driving your gas car when it's 15 to 20 years off and it's hard to imagine just what an EV transition means, let alone what your own situation will be like. If it's 2036, all the cars at the dealership are EVs and used gas cars are leaving the market, a stalwart ICE enthusiast might not be so determined.

[filip1f]

Without my playlists, definitely.

[Donut417]

34 minutes ago, Commodus said:

If it's 2036, all the cars at the dealership are EVs and used gas cars are leaving the market

Maybe in the EU where they regulate like California. But in a vast part of the world, add a few decades. I dont even see that in the US at that time. Because I doubt US law makers will regulate the auto makers to that degree. Also, auto makers work on the basis of supply and demand. I personally dont think demand for electrics is going to be that great in the US. I mean we are all happy with our trucks and SUVs. Granted they will sell EV's here, I figure there will 3 or 4 decades before we see a vast majority of cars on the roads that are EV's. 

 

Because last I heard, even fast charging isn't that fast. Not compared to being able to dump 20 gallons of gas in a tank. The other thing is places to be able to charge. Until EV's start really mattering here, no ones going to really invest in EV charging stations. So then you're forced to charge them at home. Which then means you need a electrician to wire up a charger. Thats an extra expense. You're not going to be taking your EV on any road trips without charging stations. Granted there are a few places that do have them just not many. Personally until I can like charge up to 100% in like 10 min, I wont invest in one. I think that feeling would be mutual by most people in the US. Especially here in Michigan, because we aint got time to wait for the mother Fer to charge. We are a GO GO GO state. 

[vf1000ride]

As others have mentioned but will expand upon.  Steering wheels and pedals.  I know the tech has come a long way with self driving cars but I will be a very late and very resistant adopter of that tech.  I prefer to have the control of my car in my own hands and not a computer.

[airborne spoon]

Only thing my car needs is the ability to go mach bajebus. Hence why i bought a tesla a few years ago. other than speed and power i don't need anything from a car.

Most important aftermarket car item is my Valentine 1 radar detector though that has gotten me out of more tickets than i can count in the last 12 years or so.

[Justaphysicsnerd]

The ability to pay subscription for unlocking features of my car that I already paid thousands of dollars for. Imagine If EA made cars ! Like Tesla, you have to pay to get ....>
 

Spoiler

 

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Warm Seats

 

 

[STRMfrmXMN]

My Subaru (in signature) has been getting a new shortblock put in for almost a month now (busy shop), and I've come to find I miss the nice, hefty clutch and shifter action from the 5-speed. My Honda is a manual but the clutch is shot and the long throws on the shifter just don't feel the same. The Subie also has an Apple CarPlay head unit and MAN do I miss that. 

 

One thing I wanted in a beater car is cruise control. I will never own any car that doesn't have it, adaptive or otherwise. It saves gas and makes driving so much less stressful over long trips. My Honda's is a little janky cuz of the old-fashioned throttle cable, but it's better than not having it. 

[Mark Kaine]

CD player 

[LordVetinari]

I have a EV hybrid, and honestly I am a little sold on electric motoring. My two requirements for going fully electric are:

 

1) real world range of 300miles +

2) fast charge of 10% to 80% of 15 minutes or less. 

 

For me that will fill my daily and one off needs. Not everyone is in the same boat of course but I imagine that realistically that would probably be fine for a lot of people. I imagine by the next generation of cars we will be pretty much there.

 

Here in the UK EVs and hybrids are extremely tax efficient as company cars which will definitely helped drive adoption as well as being exempt from certain taxes and charges. That probably won't last forever but ATM it means I pay £120 ish a month for a brand new car with insurance and unlimited mileage. Definitely helps sweetens the deal. 

 

Infrastructure, especially supply infrastructure is very challenging right now with charging actually putting a measurable and big stress on the networks. 

 

Micro generation (house or neighborhood level wind,solar, wave, EfW etc ) are probably the way forward to supplement the national network to assist in this. But this brings its own challenges in pricing, fair markets and other regulation. 

 

To swing back on topic, things I definitely 'need' now in a car:

 

1) pre start (warming the cabin and demisting etc to a pre set time)

 

2) heated steering wheel and side mirrors

 

3) adaptive cruise control (where it matches speed to the car Infront)

 

 

[mousesnob]

On 10/15/2020 at 3:31 AM, svmlegacy said:

3 pedals and a wiggly stick.

Dont really understand why some people are so anal about it being manual or automatic.

[Chino111]

Nowadays, ALCOHOL!

 

I regularly use it when getting a ticket, paying for toll, or when i just got back to the car.

[Chino111]

1 hour ago, mousesnob said:

Dont really understand why some people are so anal about it being manual or automatic.

In my opinion, its because manual is really a hassle to use for traffic jams and steep inclines. I know how to drive both tho but it was a nightmare to be stuck in traffic for a total of 5 hours in a day with manual and when the engine stalls when you make a mistake LOL! The second time i used a manual, i needed to use a manual for 100km due to my work.

Other than my first use of my manual in a driving test where i only had an hour of practice. i have no history of using or practicing a manual transmission in my life LOL. You will get used to it and the people who are honking their horns at you behind you at the stop light LOL. I found using the foot brake better for me than the hand brake.

[svmlegacy]

2 hours ago, mousesnob said:

Dont really understand why some people are so anal about it being manual or automatic.

Same reason people like to have mechanical keyboards. Preferences.

 

I've driven both. Manual's are more engaging and fun for me.

 

Not to mention... my particular car is known to have weak automatics, but a robust manual.