...might be the name of a crowdfunding campaign if I decide to take action on what I'm about to describe next.
For years I've been disappointed with cars for various reasons, and I've been fascinated by the idea of starting a new car company to satisfy my own desires in motoring. This probably began around middle school when I spent a lot of time playing with some piece of software that let you simulate running a car company on an Apple //e.
More recently (the last decade or two) a number of things accelerated my interest in the subject. The failure of major manufacturers to bring electric cars to market as expected (I was completely set to lease an EV1 from a Saturn dealer in 1995), the increasing "appliancification" of modern cars and the weaponization of personal transportation as surveillance equipment have all made me think more seriously over the last few years about what it would take to do something better and how I might go about doing it.
The most recent fuel for this fire is a report from Mozilla showing just how serious of a threat to privacy modern cars are. I knew some of this having worked for companies who consume this data, but I didn't realize the extreme depth of depravity that this has reached, and it's made me think I should be taking the idea of offering an alternative more seriously.
So what's the pitch?
Jason wants to start a car company that will design and manufacture cars for people who like to drive. Cars that you can actually own(1), cars that are fun to drive(2) and cars that do less harm(3). Cars that are made well4 by people who care about making them(5) and can be serviced anywhere by anyone who is interested in doing so(6).
1: No cloud, no network and minimal computers and software. Where software is required, source code will be provided. Software, design files and anything else that is created by the company for the cars will be free and open source.
2: Balanced performance, direct handling and minimal interference between the driver and the machine. Any such indirection (antilock brakes, traction control, etc.) are optional and disabled by default. No "infotainment" beyond a conveniently placed screen with a standard interface for a mobile device that can be used however the owner sees fit (navigation, weather, etc.).
3: Lightweight electric-powered designs that consume less energy, less unsustainable materials and create less wear-and-tear on driving surfaces. Zero operating emissions, less noise and reduced harm to others in the event of a collision due to lower overall energy levels.
4: Simple designs which make it easier to maintain higher-levels of manufacturing quality. Fewer raw materials and more integrated fabrication to allow stricter control over the overall supply chain. Fewer moving parts and owner maintainability/customization as a central design criteria allow quality to be maintained after cars leave the factory.
5: Craftsperson-oriented manufacturing and workplace standards used wherever possible to attract, train and retain workers who get better and smarter over time. Automation of processes which dull the mind or endanger the bodies of workers. Compensation that allows anyone who is excited to build these cars choose to do so. Truly flat organizational model and worker/customer-owned.
6: Service, maintenance-oriented, free and open source designs make service and maintenance not only possible, but accessible to a wider variety of people than any other automobile. Designs built around small-scale manual or automated manufacturing and fabrication techniques using a small amount of readily-available raw materials means replacement or custom parts can be made anywhere even after the factory stops making them. Minimizing use of toxic chemicals or other hazardous materials makes service and customization safer in more environments.
How is this possible?
That's a much longer story. The short answer is that there's nothing listed above that I haven't thought about for a long time and in most cases have ready-to-go solutions for. All that is needed is the time to execute these plans and the funding to buy both the time and the materials. I'm notoriously bad at estimates, but I think that a prototype for the entire process is possible in five years or less and could be funded with five to ten million US dollars. Going beyond prototype is harder to predict as it involves a lot more external dependencies (certifications, reviews, registrations, etc.) but I have some strategies for streamlining that as well.
What's Next?
If I'm feeling inspired enough (or receive some encouragement) I may just throw this up on a crowdfunding site and see what happens. OTOH if someone reads this and decides to bankroll the whole thing with no strings attached well then it's kind of a no-brainer. In-between those extremes we'll see what happens.
