Mozilla’s latest edition of *Privacy Not Included reveals how 25 major car brands collect and share deeply personal data, including sexual activity, facial expressions, and genetic and health information.
This kind of shit is what makes me not want an EV, that and I guess the ease of repair but that could change with proper regulation and resources. I’m all for EVs but my current relatively effecient ICE car doesn’t spy on me and that’s important as well.
Thats kinda my point. If my current car dies I’d like to replace it with an EV, but if even the ones used and 5 years old have this shit I’m not sure I’d want to compromise my privacy like that. My only options would likely be used plug in electric hybrids or early models of EVs that will likely need battery replacements/upgrades.
It sort of has something to do with EVs, in that it’s hard to find EVs made before this was standard, so if you’re looking for cars without it it’s hard to find one that doesn’t have an ICE engine.
(Where cars aren’t avoidable, I do prefer they be electric, as, I’m sure, do many, but the privacy concerns are apparently very real.)
If it makes you feel better, EVs aren’t a real solution to the problems we
face anyways, public transport was always the solution and EVs was a way to get consumers to keep focusing on individualism and consumerism to solve societal problems.
Edit: So many replies falling over themselves about how EVs are a good “baby step”. They’re not. Hydrogen fuel cells is a good baby step. EVs are still extremely extractivist. Lithium batteries are very bad, environmentally speaking. Hydrogen is significantly cleaner. It is avoided because it would require unprofitable infrastructure to be rolled out to support hydrogen vehicles.
I am 100% in favor of density, non-car-centric urban development, active mobility and rock-solid public transit – I am on this community for a reason, after all, and I further do not drive. But I acknowledge that there are some cases where cars are important for trade work, hauling, etc., as well as where buses are the better option for transit, and in those cases I believe that the vehicle should be electrified. It may only be like 5% of the solution, but it’s a part of the solution nevertheless.
Rural places and bigots will still need or want personal cars. Some things like a trades work van or delivery service will still need a car/truck. These might as well be developed as electric. EVs are not the solution to our transportation and environmental issues but they are part of it.
EVs aren’t the perfect solution. But they’re less bad than ICE vehicles, and are a good interim measure unless/until public transport becomes more viable.
Don’t let the best get in the way of the good enough for now. It’s OK to be in favor of two things.
Cars will always be the best choice for many many trips for many many kinds of people. Cities are most efficient but not everyone can be in one, and public transit doesn’t work in farmland. We need both. EVs is a way to reduce the use of fossil fuels in transportation. We don’t have time to wait to densify every city and build out good transit networks, that will take decades. EVs have real benefits today. It just sucks modern cars are nightmares.
This kind of shit is what makes me not want an EV, that and I guess the ease of repair but that could change with proper regulation and resources. I’m all for EVs but my current relatively effecient ICE car doesn’t spy on me and that’s important as well.
This kind of shit makes me want to build an EV using a kit.
It’s got nothing to do with EVs.
It’s all cars made in the last 6-8 years.
Thats kinda my point. If my current car dies I’d like to replace it with an EV, but if even the ones used and 5 years old have this shit I’m not sure I’d want to compromise my privacy like that. My only options would likely be used plug in electric hybrids or early models of EVs that will likely need battery replacements/upgrades.
It sort of has something to do with EVs, in that it’s hard to find EVs made before this was standard, so if you’re looking for cars without it it’s hard to find one that doesn’t have an ICE engine.
(Where cars aren’t avoidable, I do prefer they be electric, as, I’m sure, do many, but the privacy concerns are apparently very real.)
If it makes you feel better, EVs aren’t a real solution to the problems we face anyways, public transport was always the solution and EVs was a way to get consumers to keep focusing on individualism and consumerism to solve societal problems.
Edit: So many replies falling over themselves about how EVs are a good “baby step”. They’re not. Hydrogen fuel cells is a good baby step. EVs are still extremely extractivist. Lithium batteries are very bad, environmentally speaking. Hydrogen is significantly cleaner. It is avoided because it would require unprofitable infrastructure to be rolled out to support hydrogen vehicles.
I am 100% in favor of density, non-car-centric urban development, active mobility and rock-solid public transit – I am on this community for a reason, after all, and I further do not drive. But I acknowledge that there are some cases where cars are important for trade work, hauling, etc., as well as where buses are the better option for transit, and in those cases I believe that the vehicle should be electrified. It may only be like 5% of the solution, but it’s a part of the solution nevertheless.
Rural places and bigots will still need or want personal cars. Some things like a trades work van or delivery service will still need a car/truck. These might as well be developed as electric. EVs are not the solution to our transportation and environmental issues but they are part of it.
EVs aren’t the perfect solution. But they’re less bad than ICE vehicles, and are a good interim measure unless/until public transport becomes more viable.
Don’t let the best get in the way of the good enough for now. It’s OK to be in favor of two things.
Cars will always be the best choice for many many trips for many many kinds of people. Cities are most efficient but not everyone can be in one, and public transit doesn’t work in farmland. We need both. EVs is a way to reduce the use of fossil fuels in transportation. We don’t have time to wait to densify every city and build out good transit networks, that will take decades. EVs have real benefits today. It just sucks modern cars are nightmares.
Guess who drives the most in total.
And guess how much it can be reduced with good public transport.
My car’s old enough to vote.