Quote:
Originally Posted by Martinjlm
They do. Even the $35k Equinox EV has flush door handles that present when you are within close proximity of the vehicle with your cellphone / key. And if you stand near the tailgate for something like 10 seconds or so it assumes you want to open the tailgate and opens it automatically.
https://youtu.be/VYqnQlsWCHI?si=bvlHyEebQ2Lzvmq5 |
This is the part I struggle with re: proximity keys. Walking past our EV in the garage means it lights up and gets ready to go. My phone is in my pocket and I've gone to the garage to fetch something else. I didn't intend to drive the car.
Trying to wash it or clean the interior is a *show. Walk away, and it locks. Walk near it, it unlocks. Swipe under the rear bumper and the hatch will open. Touch the screen with a cleaning towel and the dash lights up because it's taken input. Accidentally press a button on the console and the infotainment wants input, or it's already taken input and is doing something I didn't actually intend to do.
And that's one issue I have with modern vehicles. There are so many settings, modes, and overly "helpful" aides and configurations, and they're all programmed differently, behave differently. It's like how video games evolved from "Pong" to 17 sequels of an RPG with an elaborate plot line that takes thousands of hours to conquer and requires a significant investment of time/energy/machinery just to play it. I'm not dumb, it's just at this stage in life I struggle to find these things ultimately useful or worthy of the time/energy to fully understand and configure them. A physical key and simple fob in hand is something I think we all took for granted, and its evolution I think is an answer to questions that weren't necessarily being asked. Perhaps by people who find a simple car key to be a "hassle". Me? I'm of the belief that a hammer can be a very elegant and versatile tool. I find this new stuff to be a "hassle", and don't appreciate the fact that for most of these cars there doesn't seem to be an simple "dumb" mode, or if there is, it takes pages of reading and configuration to dial back it's supposed helpfulness.
Our EV has a partial self-driving mode. I don't trust it. It's a gimmick. I'm still responsible for the car and my own safety, and the safety of others, and I have to second-guess what it's doing and be ready to take over if it does something stupid, which it does. I also can't train it to NOT drive like a teenager. It follows too close, brakes too hard, and doesn't anticipate things in extended sight distance. I tried to let it do its thing while I had to eat breakfast on the run, and yeah, I can kind of see where it's helpful so you can momentarily take your eyes off the road or reduce the level of input needed, but ultimately we as drivers shouldn't be doing that. Shouldn't be eating on the run, shouldn't be taking our eyes off the road.
But I digress and get distracted. I'm still waiting for a manufacturer who will produce an arguably performance-oriented EV where there isn't an equal purpose to automate and simplify (through overhead of configuration and prediction) the driving experience. To really take control of our iX I have to configure it that way, and that's one thing I find to be incredibly annoying as a driver/enthusiast.