What a crazy year we just had. To make the team think about what they saw and be glad that they will never see it again …
2022 will definitely be a good time! Straight out of lockdown and into the busiest, craziest year we’ve seen in… years!
While a lot of good things will happen in 2022, there are things we’re glad we’ll never see again…
This is the dumbest surge we’ve seen in a long time, and automotive NFTs seem to have fallen from their favored position to near obscurity. This is a good thing.
In fact, the original concept of paying real money for a fake car has quickly evolved into a complex “buy NFT, get a car free” pitch, which essentially means that the days of car NFTs are numbered. Even trying to explain what a token is, or even what “fungible” means, pushes them into a super-niche class of buyers who ride the crypto train into the dark unknown.
A pretty cool one-shot sketch by Porsche Chief Exterior Designer Peter Varga sold for $36,000 (along with physical artwork) as an NFT at auction in August 2021 and is now attracting $1,800 in bids. This fact shows that even the crypto community does not accept these proposals. seriously.
Automakers around the world have invested billions in self-driving cars, promising drivers a future where they can relax and read a book, do crossword puzzles, watch TV or do whatever they want from the comfort of their car. the vehicle paves and moves along the path to a given destination without human intervention.
But is this really what motorists crave? Anyone who loves to drive will view self-driving cars as a bane to the art of driving, and anyone who doesn’t will put their lives in the hands of a bunch of cameras and some kind of null sensors that, well, they can catch the bus in time. Or a train.
Automakers and the world at large would be better off if they invested untold billions of dollars in improving battery technology. I don’t want to flip through my phone, and if I’m lucky and don’t get killed on the way, my car will take me where I need to go. I want an electric car with a range of 1,000 kilometers that can be charged in five minutes. Or a tiny electric car with a range of only 180 kilometers for about $26,000. The global automakers would be better off spending their money on both than chasing cars that can drive on their own. very bad.
By now, I was hoping to say goodbye to a lot of outdated legislative baggage, but in a truly bureaucratic fashion, the government has failed to phase out import duties and incentives for electric vehicles, and has also failed to truly understand the luxury car tax (LCT).
I’m guessing none of this will be popular with Disc readers, so feel free to respond in the comments below. Are import duties designed to protect the Australian auto industry out of place in today’s Australia, where there is no local production?
EV incentives are stupid, plain and simple. First of all, why would you want to encourage the purchase of a product that is in short supply and requires a long wait time? Second, history has shown that changing consumer behavior is better achieved by discouraging less desirable purchases than by encouraging desirable purchases.
As far as LCT is concerned, we already have GST which increases the purchase price by 10%, so why would we need an additional, punitive, ill-conceived tax?
I look forward to the eventual demise of poorly tuned lane keeping assist systems that constantly push, pinch and swerve in lane during normal day to day driving.
From a security point of view, I understand the importance of these systems, but when they are damned tolerated, they lose their influence.
On that note, can we think of ways to reduce the number of bins, dongs, and dongs on new cars? Nothing annoys me more than endless warning sounds on some new car, except for my kids.
After four generations in over two decades, Toyota Australia announced in 2022 that it has killed off its hideously ugly Prius hybrid pioneer.
While I didn’t shed a tear or lose sleep over this decision, a few months ago Toyota unveiled an all-new Prius plug-in hybrid that’s expected to offer around 70 kilometers of pure electric driving and looks pretty good.
I would like to see prices in the crazy used car market come down, but if the supply of new cars does not strengthen, I do not think they will change dramatically.
Another thing I want to say goodbye to is the infotainment system, which relies entirely on touch, with most of the features hidden in the menus.
With inventory and supply shortfalls, 2022 will be a new battleground in the automotive industry and it will be a huge relief for consumers to see the situation turn around and the market become more stable and compliant.
I’m glad some brands, like Volkswagen, are moving away from touch-based car controls. They tried them on a number of models, including the VW Golf, and everyone frowned on the finicky switchgear, which the brand later admitted was a misstep and would go back to physical buttons that can be pressed.
The constant shortage of semiconductors has allowed automakers to be creative in removing or tweaking standard equipment products.
This has led to really confusing specs, lower value for money for flagship vehicles, and a weird “subscription” model with some features that should really come as standard.
I understand this is a balancing act and a difficult time for the automotive industry. However, it seems like the real loser is the consumer who has to navigate endless option packages, fine print, and constant inventory shortages.
Touch buttons in cars—whether they be touch screens, capacitive touch buttons, or sliders—need to deploy quickly.
They can be well integrated – for example, shortcut buttons high up in your peripheral vision. But in almost all cases, touch buttons (or icons on a touch screen) require more intellectual effort and take your attention off the road for longer than physical switches or dials.
Some brands, including one of the latest touch-button favorites, Volkswagen, are beginning to see the light and returning to physical controls. But, unfortunately, others are just getting started.
James has been in the Australian digital publishing scene since 2002 and has been in the automotive industry since 2007. He joined CarAdvice in 2013, left in 2017 to work with BMW, and returned in late 2019 to lead the Automotive Content business.
DAP Pricing – Unless otherwise noted, all prices are listed as Manufacturer’s Recommended List Price (MRLP), including GST, excluding options and travel expenses.