I’m spoiled. My job involves driving new cars pretty regularly. So I’m probably better than most at figuring out how all this new technology works in cars, though even I have trouble as features get more complicated and increasingly buried in touchscreen menus. But I often wonder… if you’re a normal person coming to one of these new cars from, say, a 12-year-old Honda CR-V, how the hell are you supposed to figure this stuff out?
It turns out the answer is “Just get real mad,” per the latest J.D. Power study on owner satisfaction. We have that and some news on the automotive labor front, Audi teams up with an unlikely partner on EVs, and just what is the “right” time for us to move off fossil fuels—if we ever will? Let’s close out the week nice and strong, Autopians.
Car Owners Are Neither Informed, Nor Entertained
Automakers: You can’t do better than Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You just can’t. I’m not being mean here, I’m telling you the truth—and it’s what your owners think, too.
We learn this from the J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, which says that for the first time in its 28-year history “there is a consecutive year-over-year decline in owner satisfaction.” Now, it’s good to remember J.D. Power does this stuff to collect car company advertising revenue, but that doesn’t mean its data isn’t solid. According to The Verge, which parsed the study, a lot of this is due to tech—especially infotainment systems:
According to JD Power’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, overall satisfaction among car owners is 845 (on a 1,000-point scale), a decrease of two points from a year ago and three points lower than in 2021. That’s the first time in the 28-year history of the study that the consumer research firm registered a consecutive year-over-year decline in owner satisfaction.
Unsurprisingly, more people are choosing not to use their car’s native infotainment controls. Only 56 percent of owners prefer to use their vehicle’s built-in system to play audio, down from 70 percent in 2020, JD Power found. Less than half of owners said they like using their car’s native controls for navigation, voice recognition, or to make phone calls.
Remember, General Motors is moving away from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems soon, too, for its own native tech. And while that’s going to be a Google Automotive Services system, it seems to come down to how GM can program it—and the car companies are having trouble becoming software companies after 100 years of making engines and bodies and transmissions and what-have-you.
You’d think Tesla would be crushing it on that front, but as that story notes…
Tesla continues to rank above average, but satisfaction is declining. The company earned a score of 878, making it one of the higher-performing brands in the industry. However, Tesla’s score in 2023 is nine points lower than a year ago, when the company was first included in the study. And satisfaction scores for Tesla are trending downward year over year in all 10 factors. The company isn’t eligible for JD Power’s award ranking because it doesn’t give JD Power access to owner information in the states where that permission is required by law.
Personally, I wonder how much of that has to do with Full Self-Driving or automated driving tech. So who were our winners here? Let Mr. Power and his associates fill you in:
Setting a record for the most model-level awards (for models ranking highest in their respective segments) is Hyundai Motor Group (nine awards), followed by BMW AG (five awards) and Toyota Motor Corporation (three awards).
The Porsche 911 is the highest-ranking individual model. Which makes sense. I, too, would be extremely satisfied if I owned a Porsche 911. I’d probably let a lot of shit slide there, in fact.
Audi, SAIC Team Up For EV Platforms
I want to say “How the mighty have fallen,” but I’m not so sure it’s that simple.
Here’s the deal: Despite being an early player in the EV race, the Volkswagen Group’s Audi division has felt a bit rudderless lately. Seriously, when was the last time anything notable or interesting—electric or not—came from that brand? It’s kind of been a minute. But behind the scenes, the whole VW Group has had trouble with its bold “pivot to EVs” plan: quality, software, missed deadlines, delayed cars, cost overruns, you name it.
So now Audi is due to partner with an unlikely teammate to develop electric cars: China’s SAIC Motor Corp., which as Bloomberg says “marks a turning point in China’s automotive industry from learning from foreign manufacturers to innovating its own technology.”
“Chinese carmaking has finally come of age,” said Stephen Dyer, the Shanghai-based managing director at consultancy AlixPartners. “To get a vote of confidence from VW Group on platforms, you can’t underestimate the significance.”
[…] While VW has used platforms from others in the past, like Ford Motor Co.’s truck platform, it hasn’t considered a Chinese partner before.
The deal comes just weeks after Audi appointed new Chief Executive Officer Gernot Döllner, a 54-year-old VW veteran, to address challenges such as being slow to electrify and coming up with new models. Tesla Inc. outsold Audi globally in the first quarter and its market share in China is shrinking.
It’s not clear from this story if this is a global deal or just centered on China’s cars (at least at first.) But given trade tariffs, American wariness on Chinese tech and Audi’s own decline in China for lack of EVs, I’m guessing it’s more the latter. More:
Audi needs to accelerate its electrification in China to maintain market share, but new EV launches have been constrained by VW’s long development cycle, especially for its new Premium Platform Electric — produced with Porsche. This makes Audi less competitive against rapidly upgrading local competitors, said Jing Yang, the director of China Corporate Research at Fitch Ratings.
[…] Chinese manufacturers are gaining more bargaining power with their global partners, and more international manufacturers may seek deals with Chinese firms, at least to serve the local market as they need to ramp up EV sales, Yang said.
It’s not just batteries and software the Chinese EV makers have gotten good at: it’s speed, too. Their ability to develop new models far outpaces the rest of the world, like where Toyota and the Japanese were at in the 1980s compared to everyone else. Speaking of…
Elon Musk Casts A Long Shadow Over UAW Negotiations
We’ve been telling you for months to keep an eye on the United Auto Workers’ negotiations with the Big Three, which are underway now. In short: the new leadership is militant as hell, the members are worried about their jobs in an era when EV production probably means fewer jobs, and automakers are as thirsty as ever for profits.
And according to Reuters, Tesla is a kind of benchmark for how this could go:
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the automaker’s increasingly profitable and efficient electric-vehicle factories will be shadow participants, just as Japanese automaker Toyota and its lean production system were for much of the past 30 years.
Take a moment to appreciate just how wild that statement is. The Machine That Changed The World is getting wholly disrupted by a startup that people (even me, at times) spent a decade writing off. What interesting times we find ourselves in. Anyway:
Tesla enjoys an operating-profit advantage over General Motors and Ford that ranges from nearly $2,800 per vehicle for GM to $3,970 per vehicle for Ford, based on a Reuters analysis of financial results at each automaker.
Stellantis’ North American operations last year out-earned all three in operating profit per vehicle, earning $8,365 per vehicle to beat Tesla’s latest second-quarter figure by nearly $1,200. That is in part due to Stellantis North America’s focus on combustion pickup trucks and Jeep SUVs that command hefty profit margins.
Looking forward, Detroit Three executives say new contracts with the UAW must allow them to be “competitive” as their U.S. operations shift to building EVs, which are money-losers for the legacy automakers now.
[…] The Detroit manufacturers are expected to bring comparisons with Tesla to the bargaining table, people familiar with the process said.
“Tesla today plays the role of the Japanese and German automakers in the ’80s,” said Harley Shaiken, a labor professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has followed the U.S. industry.
Good Lord. Anyway, here’s what UAW President Shawn Fain says in a sentence that starts off genially and ends like a roundhouse kick to the face:
“As we embark on this EV journey,” he said, “we are constantly presented with the same tired script from the companies; that we must remain ‘competitive,’ which is nothing more than a continued race to the bottom in a quest to follow the lowest bidder to pay poverty wages.”
That story’s worth a read in full, but it estimates that “at about 30 hours of work to assemble a vehicle, Tesla would have a direct labor cost advantage of as much as $660 per vehicle over one of the Detroit Three.” Now I’m not sure if that’s Tesla in Texas, California or China, but I’m assuming it’s in the U.S. for these purposes and because Tesla’s Chinese-made cars aren’t exported here.
Either way, the EV age of union negotiations is upon us and it’s about to get real ugly.
Climate, Labor Or U.S. Competitiveness: Pick (Maybe) Two
For now, the usually reliably Democratic UAW’s withholding an endorsement of President Joe Biden as it seeks labor guarantees from the White House. You get why the Democrats are in a tough spot.
What do you go for most? American-made EVs and supply chains? Okay, that could mean fewer U.S. auto industry jobs. Labor? Great, as you should, but see the points on either side about “competitiveness.” The climate? Well, you could let a bunch of dirt-cheap Chinese EV brands into this country with no tariffs for buyers to flock to… and that would probably trash a bunch of our car companies.
These are some of the risks facing the government, workers and the auto industry as this transition takes place, leading Automotive News to wonder what a “Goldilocks”—you know, just right—shift to EVs looks like:
In a too-fast scenario, in which U.S. regulators and policymakers push EV mandates without sufficient supply chain, infrastructure and market conditions, Bozzella said China could gain a stronger foothold in America’s battery supply chain and auto market — an outcome he likened to that of the European Union, which plans to ban new combustion-engine cars by 2035 and faces a threat of cost-competitive Chinese EVs flooding the market.
But move too slowly on electrification, he warned, and there’s a risk of the U.S. failing to scale up in time, allowing China to lock up global EV supply chains and expand into other markets.
Other EV stakeholders and climate advocates aren’t so convinced by Bozzella’s framing of the dilemma, as federal policy actions under the Biden administration aim to address many of his concerns.
Broadly (and you’re welcome to disagree with me here, as is your right) I tend to think fixing climate change isn’t compatible with the hard realities of shareholder capitalism. But these are U.S. jobs we’re talking about, not to mention legitimate, practical considerations for people moving to EVs, like affordability and charging.
Anyway, I’m glad I’m just writing about this stuff and not in charge of figuring it out. I’m busy enough as-is.
Your Turn
Let’s end this week on a positive note, shall we? What new car technology do you actually like? What doesn’t drive you insane?
It’s Apple CarPlay, isn’t it?
My last car purchase was going backwards from a 2015 model year (backup camera, blind spot monitoring, early infotainment screen) to a 2008 model year (no backup camera, no blind spot monitoring, no screen). I installed an aftermarket Bluetooth module and I am perfectly content. I would likely break an infotainment screen that had A/C controls embedded in it the second time it didn’t do what I had intended. I think as these things become more prevalent, consumers may actually revolt.
Auto rev matching manual transmission. Only have had 1 for less than 3 yrs but it was pretty cool. Traded for a newer year with DCT so the wife could drive it. Now I am looking to go back, long live the manuals with a little computer tech.
I will say the Twin Disk Clutches are a leg saver and seem to be superior than the old single disk designs. though I will admit 20 years ago when the performance Dual Disk thing I tried behind a big block Camaro did not survive as well as tried and true Hayes Leg Breaker.
When I saw my car had auto rev-matching, I told myself that I’d turn it off for purity’s sake. But dang if it doesn’t do a great job, and now I just leave it on all the time.
…
I like anything that adds value to the car. Tech that makes the car better, e.g. safer, more fuel efficient, lower NVH, more reliable, with same or more performance and easier to use without raising the price and maintainence above and beyond what buying a car with less capable, older tech might have cost in the past.
That goes triple for trickle down tech that makes even base level models nicer than luxury models from the past. Backup and dash cameras, SatNav, bluetooth, climate control, power windows/mirrors/locks/steering/brakes maybe seats, ABS, airbags, even FI and electronic ignition. I’m old enough to have driven cars without any of that. For my money I’ll take the modern car* over its vintage equivalent thanks.
What I DON’T like is the trend of the money grab: tech aimed at making *my* car a rolling rent seekers paradise. Subscriptions for anything sucks but for remote start and heated seats? Hell NO! Impossible to DIY? F that! What’s next, a fee to open the fuel/charge door? A premium level for airbag deployment? Coin operated wipers?
I also don’t like tech that adds complexity and cost for no real value. Fortunately much of this tech goes away to be replaced by something better. Power antennas come to mind.
* Gently used and fully depreciated of course!
2016 – 2018 might have been the peak. Backup cameras + Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Most stereos had volume knobs, climate controls had dials, and nothing was haptic.
My MKVII GTI was right there. I have a Maverick on its way in that sweet spot, too.
“2016 – 2018 might have been the peak”
Is that post DI carbon buildup issues?
It probably is the higher output EA888s (at least in Audis) have both port and direct injection. And should be post the horrendous oil consumption of the pre-2013 cars
GM’s PDR along with the Cosworth Toolbox software is probably my favorite tech
I do like the blind-spot monitoring and the backup camera on the newer cars we just purchased- as I get older and the cars become more and more “squinched” in the back (the rearmost windows in my wife’s new Jeep are beyond useless) I appreciate these two bits of tech.
The adaptive cruse control is meh, and the lane-keeping assist is crap that I keep turned off.
I won’t go so far as to say I like automatic chokes but they don’t drive me insane. I’m willing to consider owning a car with one, just not at the moment.
No hand-crank starter, no care, as I always say
Have you ever hand started an engine? I have. Its fun, once maybe twice.
It’s not something you want to do regularly especially on a modern high compression engine. Doubly so on such an engine with more than 1.5L of volume.
Now a shotgun shell starter THAT would be a different story.
Three words: Manual. Spark. Advance.
Now get off my lawn, ya damn kids!
Backup cameras are both a help and a great disservice. Twice I’ve nearly been hit by someone backing out of a parking space or driveway who is watching their camera, and not turning their head to look and see what is coming. Too much “If it’s not on the screen, it doesn’t matter”.
Backup cameras are admittedly great. I am jealous of some of the newer cars that have the full suite of cameras to generate an overhead view of the car. That’s pretty neat and useful, even if probably overly complicated and expensive.
For cheaper cars, I honestly wish manufacturers would delete the entire infotainment system for a nicely integrated phone mount, and just run everything through an app that way. I doubt we’ll ever see that happen though.
I’m not sure I’d call them great, but they have unfortunately become necessary in a lot of cases. As cars have gotten bigger (become SUVs), trucks got more lifted, and rear/side DLO has gotten smaller, the amount of area you can see from the driver’s seat has become uncomfortably small. So in that respect, they are a great solution to the problem. But it sucks that we have the problem in the first place.
Oh truly. I’d much rather just have my windows back. Even in the rental Malibu I have right now, you can hardly see out the back thanks to the coupe-esque design. Which is fine but I like to be able to see out of the car. Let’s not emulate the Camaro’s lack of visibility on everything, Chevy.
So much this. Outward visibility – the new luxury.
I feel like I’m stuck on the specific tech era that I’m used to with my own vehicles. When I bought a newer car (to replace my 2003 infiniti) I found that I really enjoy the backup camera, integrated android auto and that’s pretty much it… anything else just feels a bit tacked on to me. That being said I havn’t driven a modern luxury car so it’s possible I don’t know what I’m missing
Do backup cameras still count as new tech? They’ve gotten so much better than when they were just tiny, dim, grainy little things. I admit, I sneered at the early versions, but I love them now.
Yeah, I would really not want to go to a pre-backup camera era. They’ve actually saved lives, too.
I like a lot of the little nice things, like backup cameras. However, the tech that I really love is the combination of keyless start and wireless CarPlay. Never having to take my key or phone out of my pocket is *really* nice. And when I walk more than a couple feet away, I hear the car lock behind me.
My inner control freak HATES that. I wanna push a button and hear a beep.
Why spend the money to develop an expensive user experience that is widely considered worse than something that already exists? The answer is obvious and it has nothing to do with consumer experience – data, and who owns it. The manufactures want your data. Nothing is going to change until we can come up with laws around opt-in for data collection and sale and not opt out. I’m old enough to remember when selling your data meant you got a product out of it. Now you have to pay and they get your data to sell. I don’t think people realize just how much data is being actively funneled to manufactures right from your new car every time you drive and there isn’t much you can do about it.
I feel like this will be one of those things where you either get a Wall ‘O Text on the infotainment system or sign a release during the car purchasing/leasing process that’s an ultimatum. You either opt in and get to use the product or opt out completely and you’re turned out into the cold.
Or you write into the law that’s not allowed.
Laws that protect and benefit society are not allowed here buck-o
The Supreme Court would overturn any such law.
Buttons. I said it before, I’ll say it again. Buttons that connect directly to the device being controlled. Levers and knobs.
They may cost more on the day of manufacture – which is why the OEMs don’t do them anymore – but they are easier to live with every day afterward. A physical button doesn’t hide on a dropdown menu; a knob is right there and instantly intuitive.
And because they are more expensive on the day of manufacture, OEMs are loathe to go back to them. So vote with your money: buy models that have analog, physical controls. If we’re lucky, the manufacturers will get the message.
This is the correct answer. Every day.
I think the pendulum is finally swinging back in that direction with some manufacturers. We just bought a 2024 Kia Seltos that has dual 10″ LCDs in the dash, but also has a full suite of physical controls for HVAC, audio and other frequently-used features. We pretty much just use the LCDs for Android Auto and Apple Car Play and control everything else physically.
I like backup cameras with directional overlays and blind spot monitoring. I dislike pretty much everything else. I don’t commute, so self-driving, adaptive cruise, lane keeping assist, etc. is no use to me and usually only causes annoyance.
Yes, most car audio interfaces need to die. All they really need is a moderate sized screen, a volume knob, basic ff/rewind/skip buttons and wireless connectivity to my phone. Please.
I think basic bluetooth for streaming music and making hands free calls is pretty dang solid now.
Word. The radio in my Jeep TJ died for the second time, so I installed a combination Bluetooth receiver and amplifier in a cubby that replaced the radio. It’s pretty much foolproof and reliable — amazing for Bluetooth — and I moved the entertainment and navigation to a smart device of my choosing, where it belongs.
Likely automakers would never offer what I just described as an option, but I’m guessing most buyers wouldn’t mind if base models offered screenless Bluetooth.
I am constantly thankful for how easy it is to stream music via Bluetooth. When I first started driving, Bluetooth didn’t exist, and I had to plug my Discman (remember those) into the car stereo with one of those cassette tape adapters. Then not long after I saved up to upgrade the head unit to an in-dash CD player, MP3 players came out, and I had to try using one of those janky-ass FM transmitters.
Now it’s so easy. It connects automatically straight from my pocket. I can control my music with the buttons (BUTTONS! Not a touchscreen!) on the steering wheel. It shows the song information on the infotainment screen. My new phone even automatically starts playing my most recent audio source without me having to do anything on my phone. And that’s not even Carplay/AndroidAuto. It works great, and I like it a lot.
If by tech, you mean screen stuff, I like a screen large enough to show navigation and media (radio station, music app, whatever) clearly at the same time, running Android Auto (or Apple CarPlay–either one does what is needed). With physical controls for common functions.
Otherwise, the tech I like is good suspension, ventilated seats, and a reliable and efficient powertrain. I also prefer an electric seat, so I can do finer adjustment. Built-in dashcam would be nice. I do really like back-up cameras, too.
Best new car technology? Motor driven windshield wipers. Was a PITA having to manually do that in a pouring rain.
Not exactly “new,” but okay.
Worst version: vacuum-powered windshield wipers. Technically motor driven, but ugh. The faster you go, the worse they work.
Omg yes. Friends Scout 800 304 with aftermarket 4-barrel in the rain…. Secondaries open = wipers stop. Unfunny on a highway, unforgettable horror on dirt.
Never had the displeasure of vacuum-operated, but it sounds even worse than compressed air units. Those had 3 basic options: off, randomly jumping around, and Warp speed.
Wait until we have lasers to do that.
I agree, our capitalist system is not designed to tackle common-good problems like climate change. And failing to address immediate problems like housing and healthcare will result in complete US system failure along with the planet. TGIF!
Every time someone thinks that capitalism will innovate us out of climate change, I think about all the problems that capitalism has made worse in the name of profit, such as housing and healthcare. The capitalist solution to climate change is likely to be investments in property that will remain/become the most habitable and profit off it.
Have a fun weekend, folks!!!
Cheers! commence drinking self into oblivion
But… Capitalism put those spirits on my bar cart… The disonance… Now I need another pour…
Wireless CarPlay. With a conveniently located wireless charger. (Ok, so I had to make the latter for my Audi.)
Also, surround cameras.
The only way I could get my phone to actually charge wirelessly while using wireless AA in either of my Audi’s was to put magsafe stickers on them and put a charger on the A/C vent. Works great though.
The RS6? Are 600HP TTV8 wagons not notable or interesting? The RS6/RS7 Performance? The RS3 with a cracked out 400HP 5 cylinder? The RSQ8 is a 5500lb beast that does 0-60 in 3.2s (just a few tenths off from Godzilla). The E-tron GT (RS or not) should not be glossed over, either. The everyday A/Q/S models keep it classy in a world of overstyled everything.
Gotta agree here, they make absolutely bonkers stuff.
But I thought it was pretty common knowledge that teaming up with Chinese companies was a great way to get your IP stolen…
But what if you don’t have any IP worth stealing anymore? Are the chinese gonna start making bootleg 5-cylinder turbo engines now, or Torsen-diff AWD?
Nah, they already got everything they needed decades ago.
Apple Carplay is great.
Beyond that the gentle auto break and not he yeet you out of the car when backing up. I have close calls as I move looking around and start moving. Suddenly child.
I would theorize that someone (not me, but a statistician) can also correlate owner satisfaction with the rising cost of vehicles in general. In other words, the higher the cost of the car, the higher the expectation of quality, usability, and generally the expectation that everything will be “perfect”. If the cost of the car keeps rising and basically nothing changes, I’d expect this downward trend in satisfaction to continue.
This is exactly what I came to comment on. I’m sure most people were satisfied with paying 25k for a car with some UI shortcomings. When you’ve just spent 50k on something and it’s full of irritations, you’re probably going to be pretty pissed off. Especially when you come to the realization that you’ve been heisted for an extra 10k in options only to have your car beep at you all the time.
Totally! I’m sure there’s some fancy name for this phenomenon. I can think of it playing out in all sorts of product design. Furniture and appliances for one. My expectation for a cheap IKEA kitchen is very different from that of one custom built or from Bulthaup, or perhaps a fridge from Frigidaire versus a SubZero (i.e. 5-10x more expensive). This is surely why luxury brands often rate lower in consumer reports and other rags.
expectations?
value?
Yeah, and Frigidaire is one of the better “cheaper” brands…and it does the same thing! That’s what our fridge is that we’ve had 15 years and 0 problems. It’s just a regular one w/freezer on top w/ice maker inside (& still works perfect!) No screens either!