Doc H

Doesn't include 2019 on their website for GE deletion (buried several layers deep):

Always pay careful attention to the road, and do not drive while distracted. Connect PRIME services are optional, may require an additional subscription with separate terms and conditions, and should be used only when it is safe and appropriate. Trial or paid subscription required. Connect PRIME services require vehicle cellular connectivity and availability of vehicle GPS signal. Certain services collect location information; see Terms of Service for information about how to disable. Online services are subject to change at any time. Google Earth™ features will not be available after December 2020 for Model Year 2018 and older vehicles. “Google Earth” is a trademark of Google Inc. See Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and other details at www.audiusa.com/privacy and http://www.audiusa.com/technology/in.../connect-terms.

However, removal of service shenanigans by Audi are not just limited to GE:

Manual Emergency Call is enabled prior to purchase or lease and does not require registration or a subscription. Available on select models. Connect CARE services are activated prior to purchase or lease and do not require registration or paid subscription. Connect CARE services require vehicle cellular connectivity and availability of vehicle GPS signal; certain services collect location information, see Terms of Service for information about how to disable. Connect CARE services are subject to technologies remaining commercially available, and such service is not guaranteed, and may not be available after December 2021 for equipped Model Year 2017-2019 vehicles. See Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and other details at “http://www.audiusa.com/privacy” www.audiusa.com/privacy and “http://www.audiusa.com/audiconnect-terms” https://www.audiusa.com/technology/i.../connect-terms. Connect CARE services should only be used when it is safe and appropriate.

Astropup

LOL..... Darth Audi. Hopefully that means that my coming '19 will retain the capability. Will have to wait a year and a half and see.

gsobol

That's becoming a serious conversation for auto industry as it's shifting into information driven end of things. There appear to be more instances of abondonware as vehicles age. It used to be more gradual, such as 8-track, tape deck, cd player, etc. But all of these took many years or even decades to become abondonware. With the rapid rate of change in the information tech, abondonware will become a serious issue for people that keep their vehicles for a longer term. Outdated GPS maps may be the least of our problems. Looking at how Tesla put such an emphasis on software driven hardware with OTA updates to keep it current, it makes you wander at which point the original hardware becomes antiquated and can no longer receive updates, or data storage component malfunctions and your car dies (well, that already happened https://www.thedrive.com/news/27945/...la-wont-fix-it) and manufacturer will absolve itself of responsibility of repair. When we purchase a vehicle, we expect it to work and communicate for as long as we own it, but that's no longer the case. You have to waddle through pages and pages of legalise to discover such nuggets as "Connect CARE services are subject to technologies remaining commercially available, and such service is not guaranteed". Stuff like this gives a way out for car manufacturers to get out of the contracts with service providers when these contracts become too expensive to maintain and you can no longer up charge your customers to the tune of $500 for something they already have on their cell phones. I think car manufacturers should concentrate on what they do best, making vehicles that can take you places, and give you conduit to your own portable tech, and forget all that subscription stuff. Yes, it will still become obsolete like the tape deck, but it will be longer than a half of vehicle model cycle, and it won't kill your car. Fat chance of that happening .....

superswiss

Not unique to cars, but the main problem is proprietary technology. I assume with the conduit technologies you are primarily referring to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Both of these are proprietary technologies backed by a single vendor and could be abandoned for any reason. Proprietary technology sooner or later gets abandoned, so this situation isn't exactly better. Bluetooth is currently the only conduit technology that is an open standard, backed by a large group of companies. These types of tech have a much better chance of surviving. The car companies need to get together and create open standards that everybody can get behind instead of relying on proprietary technology from two large software companies. Eventually, smartphones will go away and something else will take their place, and then we are back in the same place.

Doc H

All true, although I think announcing (sort of - it was a very quiet announcement) the discontinuation of a feature touted as a key technology coup, and a prominent selling point, less than two years from when some people purchased their car is unique, even for this industry.

Astropup

You could also argue that eventually, personally owned vehicles will go away to be replaced by large fleets of corporate owned self-driving vehicles that one summons for your needs. The good news there is that all the pain-in-the-butt greedy car dealers will also go away since huge fleets will be bought direct from manufacturers (in fact probably custom built to need/function).