Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocinante
Where do people think the current crop of Volvo's will be in 20 or 30 years ?
Just a passing thought as I was looking at some of the older cars on here.
There's 60 year old Volvo's on here, that are being maintained, rebuilt and run by people in their own driveways and garages. Do people think this is possible with with current crop of cars, with the software and computers now contained in the cars, or is that just another car component ?
If it is possible, will people even want to keep these cars running ?
Do the people on here envisage that there will be people working on and driving V60s, XC60s etc. in 2080, assuming they can get fuel for them ?
At least the roads will be quieter, what with everyone in flying cars by then.
|
The issue will be parts, not maybe the simple parts but the sensors, modules, solenoids and ECU's. My V70 is on its 3rd PEM. They just fail. I reckon I could rebuild it to be honest but any software onboard (I think it is just a piece of hardware with logic mind you) and I would be stuffed. I would only have the very basic initial thoughts on how to get the software out of it and copied onto a new chip.
60 years ago things were much more simple (and better), there were far fewer choices and some of the old vehicles have survived, plenty didn't of course.
They had fairly simple components, however, take for example my 2005 V70 - it is just full of sensors and modules and all sorts. This is a car in a line up of literally 100's of other cars of its era, who will keep stock of all these sensors and modules? Some are not even readily available now.
Sadly we shifted to a culture of waste, cheap manufacturing and materials has spoiled us, I hate it, I like fixing things, I want a mobile phone to last me 15 years, cars should be bought and kept for longer. The young ones and their terrible waste is just unbearable to me. They seriously think that leasing a £115 a month car, ditching it in 2 or 3 years for another one is a good thing and is the way. It is these people, with that mindset which will mean we cannot have our cars in 60 years time. They will destroy an already rough replacement parts market and will continue to see component quality fall as they are expected to give shorter services. Don't even get me started on the environmental disaster this culture is causing. But we are the bad guys with our 2.4litre engines and high consumptions. That little sandal and grass skirt/skinny jean wearing, ditzy environmentalist thinks their new car every 3 years is the business, no harm done! Sorry I digress.
To keep these cars going I think we are going to need the sort of people who can interrogate ECU's and modules and modify and alter them - these guys exist, I know a guy who hacked his radio and can control most of his car via his radio interface on the CANbus. But you mentioned people in their garages and on their drives.
I suppose it also depends where technology goes. If you told someone 60 years ago that you would be able to buy a machine, controlled by another machine and it would make components itself you would probably have been laughed at, possibly committed. Perhaps in 20-30-40 years we will have computing power that will enable us to interrogate and copy sensors or modules etc. Sounds crazy yes, but that is what people would have said about iPhones 60 years ago.
The next issue is fuel. I think petrol and diesel will be around for a great many decades to come, but not as we know it, not in a dedicated retail environment dotted around the country. But as our dependency drops the price will fall then rise as production falls. Perhaps in 60 years time getting a gallon of fuel will be like buying flashbulbs for a camera now!
Not sure I am looking forward to THE future, I don't mean personally my future, I just don't think the future will be as good as the last 60 years. People think they are fixing things, with the snowflakes and woke brigade and people upset about our heritage and culture not following todays guidelines they are "fixing" it all. What are we going to be left with?
1984 seems realistic now - when I first read it, it delivered exactly what the cover said it would - a dystopian social science fiction novel - now I am not so sure, perhaps the cover ought to have read "A guide to the 2030's".
We must slow population growth and manage our future - every other common discussion relating to the future and environment shall be solved by dealing with the real problem the problem no one will really admit or discuss.