As we move into an age where technology can change overnight and the entire world is expected to keep up and adapt, adopting a new perspective of what’s parked in your garage is required. A car is no longer a mode of transportation that, if your lucky, looks nice. It needs to be adaptable to such changes in technology. Not that car designers shouldn’t continue developing new models and concepts, but really consumers shouldn’t have to wait an entire development cycle to get the technology they want when they want it. The question for car manufacturers then becomes: How, and by whom, should this new kind of upgradeable car be managed?
Car manufacturers differ in their philosophies of how vehicles should be upgraded. Some of these differences can be seen in how the companies incorporate smart phones into their vehicles. Others allow third-party applications to access their cars’ systems to keep them current. Others still think the best way is to create a new software, to maintain full control over the upgrades (and eliminate any third-party interference, whether it be positive or negative).
With respect to this issue, Ford is the most open. In December it introduced a feature called AppLink that lets drivers use smartphone apps like Pandora and Twitter. But it’s more than merely a matter of, say, plugging an iPhone into the dash. The AppLink programs — all screened and approved by Ford — have access to the driver’s controls, including voice commands and buttons on the steering wheel that drivers can use to skip through songs. Initially, AppLink works only with Sync-equipped 2011 Fiestas and 2012 Mustangs, but Ford plans to expand availability.
Mercedez-Benz and OnStar take on different approaches with their own communications systems and apps. Even experimental vehicles have left access open to outside forces; this is where the fear of hacking has come into play.
Regardless of how it happens, it is universally agreed that these upgradeable changes must be made as new cars are developed. There is really no other way to understand this than envisioning a 5-acre junkyard with stacks of crushed cars two stories high. The majority of the cars we no longer use are by choice, not because they are wrecked. Let’s find another way to help the environment by eliminating waste!
