Driving Dystopia: Stellantis Is Becoming a Software Company Like Everyone Else

On Tuesday, Stellantis announced a plan to cultivate €20 billion ($23 billion USD) per year by 2030 via “software-enabled product offerings and subscriptions.” However, the automaker will first need to increase the number of connected vehicles it has sold from 12 million (today) to 34 million by the specified date.

This is something we’ve seen most major manufacturers explore, with some brands firmly committing themselves to monetizing vehicular connectivity through over-the-air (OTA) updates, data mining, and subscription services. Though much of this looks decidedly unappetizing, often representing a clever way for companies to repeatedly charge customers for equipment that’s already been installed.

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  • Carson D A friend of mine is currently driving a Grand Wagoneer L Obsidian III, which boldly calls out its US production status twice by the time you're behind the wheel. I wonder what happens when products like that one share a showroom with ones that don't have any mention of production location.
  • Add Lightness The level 1 charger that came with my Toyota becomes a level 2 charger when fed 240v. 5 years now and works perfectly.
  • MaintenanceCosts All you people asking for an ICE version realize you'd need a longer hood and different rear packaging (for a fuel tank) to make it work, right?
  • Jalop1991 ah, the old "engaging!" trope. Isn't it funny how "I have to shift my own gears, it's so engaging" disappears the moment EVs come into play.
  • Kcflyer They should sell these to the kamala administration with a 1 billion dollar markup