- cross-posted to:
- nottheonion@lemmy.world
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Those, in my book, are single-use only, ready to have real screws/bolts replace them
Wait, so they don’t want people changing their own wheels if a tire blows out? What kind of crap patent is that?
Locking lug nuts are a thing already; this just sounds like they don’t want to give the key to the end consumer.
Home machinists “Bet”
I just patented BMW! Only the dealer can buy and keep the car.
It’s anti-consumer as hell, but is it really enough to keep servicing only to dealerships? Seems like someone can machine a tool head for this in like two seconds, it’s just two prongs. What’s stopping a manufacturer from selling tools for it and individuals/mechanics from buying the tool? Can they patent the tool and not sell it to anyone?
Get ready for black market socket sets. lol.
I’ll admit having your logo on the screws is, in itself a neat idea, not a good one, but I see why it’s cool. making it propertary and control the production of who can remove it, is a terrible idea. and looking at it’s design, it seems trivially easy to make a screwdriver for it.
I feel like BMW charging a monthly subscription for the heated seats in the car should’ve been enough to stop anyone from buying their new cars, but they continue to sell!
Not only that but the recent disgusting design language and the lowering of interior quality and the reliability issues, none of it seems to affect them? People really only see the badge and nothing else.
Isn’t it time for an open source car? Built with off the shelf components and 3d printable parts
Coming from the position of “I’m not sure it’s possible to protect the source of a space frame chassis”
Things like the Locost 7 have plans in the wild, and quite a few have been built.
You kind of have to pick your poison in terms of “off the shelf”. Does buying a BMW steering column or a Chevy crate engine count? The feasibility of casting and machining a block or head is way beyond most. (To the point where developing an open source engine would struggle to go beyond design phase without a company backing it IMO) a donor car is a good place to start, of course.
EVs may improve this, which would be good, though fucking with high voltage battery packs would be a negative.
Chassis is relatively straightforward so long as you stick to box section or tubing.
Body panels are tricky too, something like the Locost isnt too bad. Even more complicated is within the grasp of a dedicated home gamer - but we’re talking big 3D printers/serious clay or polystyrene modelling skills/CF or GF moulding etc. high expense high skill.
If you’re talking at the level of open source chassis produced by a few companies, few different companies do EV motors, few do trims, few do body work etc and then integrators put them together - I could see it working, it’s not that dissimilar to how say VW/Audi/Skoda/Seat operate.
I do like the idea of PC style integrators and you spec the car you want, probably pricey though.
Why would someone design a car that anyone could copy? Even worse, how do you handle certain legal issues where the designer and manufacturer don’t have a legal agreement with each other?
I suppose a business model similar to many open source projects? Any manufacturer can make it, charge what they deem a sensible price and then charge fees for maintenance, support and trouble shooting
How many open source projects include safety guarantees of use? I can legally sue car manufacturers for faults in design of the car that I or others purchase. Who do I sue with open source projects if the crash is due to a flaw in design?
The Nazi mobile is anti consumer? Say it aint so!
Didn’t they run slave labor camps at multiple points in their history?
Chinese subindustry manufacturers:
— Hold my pork bun!
They are really screwing the consumer
not that I care much for obvious reasons but like what’s stopping people from ordering it for 5 bucks off of aliexpress?
Just saying…
As someone who used to turn wrenchs for a living, I can objectively say that those are the worst tool ever made.
I’ve got two. They’re only for if I’m in a desperate pinch.
thanks for your comment.
I always wonder if those are great (for the advertised reasons), like not as good as the exact bit you need, but good enough to be useful.
or complete shite.
now I know
I didn’t say it was good, but it could do the job
I the part is not user serviceable, that means you have a lifetime warranty on service, and need to prove the price you charge for parts is reasonable.
