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If you haven't read The Machine Stops (1909) by E. M. Forster, please go and do so (it's short) before continuing.
As I was coming up cars, and any vehicle I controlled for that matter (dumper, tractor, boat, plane) had no computers/electrics. Before someone jumps in with an acshully, yes obviously they had starter motors, spark plugs if petrol, radios and lights etc. but that was it. Small cars didn't even have power steering. And yes there were probably some cars with electric windows in the 30s and so on. I'm referring to the everyman's experience.
Actually the dumper had no electrics at all and was crank started, and the tractor would run with the ignition key removed. For a while I drove it with no battery and a broken alternator, you just had to jump start it.
I don't have a car just now, but my most recent one was built in 2014. Now I have had some unpleasant surprises when renting vehicles.
Things I already knew about:
Windows are raised or lowered by electric motor.
Vehicles have ABS, and while on older vehicles you could switch if off, on newer ones you can't.
Ditto for traction control.
Vehicles have power steering, and in fact it is now electric. Fair enough you need power steering on larger vehicles.
Surprises
They have computers on board, and touch screen computer systems, and they can not be switched off by normal methods.
This includes GPS trackers, which show you where you are on a map. The map shows speed limits, which are sometimes wrong.
There is no key, only a fob. Doors are locked or unlocked through the Machine. When I get a vehicle, it locks or unlocks its doors as the fob goes further from or comes closer to it. This can still be disabled.
The vehicle is started or stopped either automatically, or by pressing a button and requesting the Machine to do so. Unless you deliberately stall it I suppose, which you can't do with an automatic. But that wouldn't switch off the electrics. I've heard of vehicles having 'stall assist', but thank goodness haven't driven one yet.
Windscreen wipers are automatic, although you can still disable this in vehicles I have driven.
Side/headlights are automatic and you seem to be unable to disable this.
The handbrake is also automatic. There is a button you can push to ask the Machine to engage or disengage it, but it seems to be irrelevant.
All the rental place's small cars are hybrid or electric. Possibly not across the whole country, but where I've looked.
Not that you would notice, but the engines are all electronic fuel injection now.
The wing mirrors are adjusted automatically, although you can still disable this. However the 'manual' controls are still buttons and electric motors.
Vehicles monitor your tyre pressure, although you can still disable this. Presumably, as in other contexts, 'disable' simply means it continues to monitor them, but doesn't tell you about it.
A camera on the back of the car switches on when you engage reverse gear, and the display shows what it sees, even if you have switched the display off, which you may not be able to do. I suppose who knows if the camera isn't switched on the whole time.
There are various beeps or verbal warnings, but you can disable them. For now. You can not however disable the 'leaving lane' visual warning.
All the gauges are digital.
Even where you don't notice the difference, no doubt things like switching on the windscreen wipers now send a request to the computer to do so, rather than completing a circuit.
The brakes are about the only manual/analogue thing in a modern vehicle. In case anyone didn't know, the accelerator and clutch are also now simply buttons sending electronic requests to the computer.
Some vehicles now play fake engine noise through the speakers, although not those I've driven. Maybe they had that option and the mechanics disabled it.
No doubt I've missed some things.
Many people in many contexts have discussed how technology is rising above us. I find these technological developments quite unsettling.
Having a car is one thing. I think we'd be better going back to a lower level of technology. However a car in itself is the least of it. You can have a 1987 car which is analogue/manual.
It's the insertion of the Machine between the human and every aspect of his environment which is the disturbing part. The Man is no longer in control. The Machine is in control, and the Man asks its permission to see or do anything.
In Dune they had a Butlerian Jihad and banned 'thinking machines'.
As I was coming up cars, and any vehicle I controlled for that matter (dumper, tractor, boat, plane) had no computers/electrics. Before someone jumps in with an acshully, yes obviously they had starter motors, spark plugs if petrol, radios and lights etc. but that was it. Small cars didn't even have power steering. And yes there were probably some cars with electric windows in the 30s and so on. I'm referring to the everyman's experience.
Actually the dumper had no electrics at all and was crank started, and the tractor would run with the ignition key removed. For a while I drove it with no battery and a broken alternator, you just had to jump start it.
I don't have a car just now, but my most recent one was built in 2014. Now I have had some unpleasant surprises when renting vehicles.
Things I already knew about:
Windows are raised or lowered by electric motor.
Vehicles have ABS, and while on older vehicles you could switch if off, on newer ones you can't.
Ditto for traction control.
Vehicles have power steering, and in fact it is now electric. Fair enough you need power steering on larger vehicles.
Surprises
They have computers on board, and touch screen computer systems, and they can not be switched off by normal methods.
This includes GPS trackers, which show you where you are on a map. The map shows speed limits, which are sometimes wrong.
There is no key, only a fob. Doors are locked or unlocked through the Machine. When I get a vehicle, it locks or unlocks its doors as the fob goes further from or comes closer to it. This can still be disabled.
The vehicle is started or stopped either automatically, or by pressing a button and requesting the Machine to do so. Unless you deliberately stall it I suppose, which you can't do with an automatic. But that wouldn't switch off the electrics. I've heard of vehicles having 'stall assist', but thank goodness haven't driven one yet.
Windscreen wipers are automatic, although you can still disable this in vehicles I have driven.
Side/headlights are automatic and you seem to be unable to disable this.
The handbrake is also automatic. There is a button you can push to ask the Machine to engage or disengage it, but it seems to be irrelevant.
All the rental place's small cars are hybrid or electric. Possibly not across the whole country, but where I've looked.
Not that you would notice, but the engines are all electronic fuel injection now.
The wing mirrors are adjusted automatically, although you can still disable this. However the 'manual' controls are still buttons and electric motors.
Vehicles monitor your tyre pressure, although you can still disable this. Presumably, as in other contexts, 'disable' simply means it continues to monitor them, but doesn't tell you about it.
A camera on the back of the car switches on when you engage reverse gear, and the display shows what it sees, even if you have switched the display off, which you may not be able to do. I suppose who knows if the camera isn't switched on the whole time.
There are various beeps or verbal warnings, but you can disable them. For now. You can not however disable the 'leaving lane' visual warning.
All the gauges are digital.
Even where you don't notice the difference, no doubt things like switching on the windscreen wipers now send a request to the computer to do so, rather than completing a circuit.
The brakes are about the only manual/analogue thing in a modern vehicle. In case anyone didn't know, the accelerator and clutch are also now simply buttons sending electronic requests to the computer.
Some vehicles now play fake engine noise through the speakers, although not those I've driven. Maybe they had that option and the mechanics disabled it.
No doubt I've missed some things.
Many people in many contexts have discussed how technology is rising above us. I find these technological developments quite unsettling.
Having a car is one thing. I think we'd be better going back to a lower level of technology. However a car in itself is the least of it. You can have a 1987 car which is analogue/manual.
It's the insertion of the Machine between the human and every aspect of his environment which is the disturbing part. The Man is no longer in control. The Machine is in control, and the Man asks its permission to see or do anything.
In Dune they had a Butlerian Jihad and banned 'thinking machines'.
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