> you would still want electronic ignition, fuel injection, antilock brakes, traction control, airbags, onboard diagnostics... the list goes on.
Fuel injection is quite important; I drove a car with carburetor, but fuel injection was winning even before onboard computers. However you can have one with hardly any electronics; a rather small and simple analog circuit can work.
Electronic ignition begs question: what's that electronic in that? Electrical spark was used in cars, I guess, from the invention of internal combustion engines; but it's not electronic. Timing of the ignition? Cars can and were built without that; even if exists, it's something which sounds rather similar to fuel injection issue.
Antilock braking was invented and used as a mechanical system. Same with airbags. Traction control at least evolved from mechanical systems. Onboard diagnostics is nice, but periodical checkups served people well for a long time.
In other words, we can have a working car with necessary functions made possible either completely without electronics, or with analog electronics. In the worst case we might use small-scale integrated circuits - and that is already for functions which weren't that popular less than a generation ago.
My point, which I believe was misunderstood, is that it looks like a mistake to design a modern car in such a way that it can't be produced without relying on several exclusive manufacturers of high-quality semiconductors, while those semiconductors aren't critical for basic functions of the car. Those custom chips can't even be replaced with alternatives! Make at least an extension module, which would provide all those relatively recent features. I don't understand that it worth stopping car production in case those non-essential - even if quite convenient - functions can't be supplied at the same time as basic necessities.
Look at this part -
> you would still want electronic ignition, fuel injection, antilock brakes, traction control, airbags, onboard diagnostics... the list goes on.
Fuel injection is quite important; I drove a car with carburetor, but fuel injection was winning even before onboard computers. However you can have one with hardly any electronics; a rather small and simple analog circuit can work.
Electronic ignition begs question: what's that electronic in that? Electrical spark was used in cars, I guess, from the invention of internal combustion engines; but it's not electronic. Timing of the ignition? Cars can and were built without that; even if exists, it's something which sounds rather similar to fuel injection issue.
Antilock braking was invented and used as a mechanical system. Same with airbags. Traction control at least evolved from mechanical systems. Onboard diagnostics is nice, but periodical checkups served people well for a long time.
In other words, we can have a working car with necessary functions made possible either completely without electronics, or with analog electronics. In the worst case we might use small-scale integrated circuits - and that is already for functions which weren't that popular less than a generation ago.
My point, which I believe was misunderstood, is that it looks like a mistake to design a modern car in such a way that it can't be produced without relying on several exclusive manufacturers of high-quality semiconductors, while those semiconductors aren't critical for basic functions of the car. Those custom chips can't even be replaced with alternatives! Make at least an extension module, which would provide all those relatively recent features. I don't understand that it worth stopping car production in case those non-essential - even if quite convenient - functions can't be supplied at the same time as basic necessities.