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Comment by headmelted | Hacker News Reader

I also think the notion that Tesla is going to go away over night when Volkswagen “gets there” is nonsense.

Homework:

1. Use an infotainment system from an “old guard” car maker. 2. Use Android Auto, CarPlay or the Tesla dash. 3. Repeat 1.

So much of the experience of your car is terrible because it’s an afterthought to these companies. They hire people to tick a box at the least expense possible.

I drive a Nissan Leaf. The build quality is pretty good. The battery life isn’t spectacular but it wasn’t particularly expensive either, and it’s all I need...

But it’s no Tesla.

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Carmakers should just give up on the infotainment system and simply provide a docking bay for your phone.

Last week I rented a car. I gave up on the inscrutable infotainment system and just used my phone, with it flopping around the car because there was nowhere to fix it in place.

Edit: the phones are not just better, they are constantly being improved, and the car system stays static. The phones also cost next to nothing compared with replacing a broken system in your car.

Tesla car system gets continuous improvements, for sure much more than any android phone that after 2 years in the best case doesn’t get any more updates.

The infotainment System is also otherwise known as a radio and navigation system. VW does those well enough and it also integrates with car play and android auto.

That's basically what Apple Car Play and Android Auto do.

Ish.

Android Auto now works on a handset over bluetooth. Apple being Apple, you have to buy an entire new head unit or a new car with built-in Carplay to use it.

> you have to buy an entire new head unit or a new car with built-in Carplay to use it

It's everywhere now though, even the used econobox my family bought this year has it.

Ironically, the major brand to NOT support it is Tesla, making it actually a mark AGAINST them.

I’m in a bit of an uncanny valley.

My Leaf’s functionality is so tied up in the dash unit that it can’t realistically be replaced without losing access to critical functions. Ironically, the very lowest end model is the only one that can have it’s head unit replaced - and I’d have bought one except it mandates leasing the battery which wasn’t for me.

Not everyone can replace their head unit and most used econoboxes do not have head units anywhere close to recent enough to support either platform.

My Volkswagen has CarPlay though?

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