Automotive Technology
Introduction
Automotive technology is reshaping what a car is, from over-the-air software updates and driver-assistance systems to connectivity, electrification, and the data your vehicle collects. This hub is your evergreen guide to the tech under the hood and behind the dashboard, and to the debates over repairability, ownership, and privacy that come with it. The Auto Wire covers ADAS, infotainment, telematics, and the friction between automakers and the people who buy their cars. Use this page to understand how the technology works, where it is heading, and how it connects to safety, reliability, and the electric future.
Table of Contents
- The Modern Connected Car
- Driver-Assistance and Autonomy
- Infotainment and Connectivity
- Over-the-Air Updates and Software
- Data, Privacy, and Telematics
- Right to Repair
- The Future of Car Tech
- Latest News
- Related Guides
- Expert Resources
- Recommended Reading
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Modern Connected Car
Driver-Assistance and Autonomy
Levels of Automation
Limits of Self-Driving
Infotainment and Connectivity
Over-the-Air Updates and Software
Feature Subscriptions
Software-Locked Hardware
Data, Privacy, and Telematics
Right to Repair
The Future of Car Tech
Latest News
[DYNAMIC BLOCK PLACEHOLDER — auto-populate with latest posts tagged Technology / industry / Government Regulation.]
Related Guides
[INTERNAL LINK PLACEHOLDER — link to sibling hubs: Electric Vehicles, Car Safety, Vehicle Reliability, Traffic Incidents, Car Recalls.]
Expert Resources
[EXTERNAL AUTHORITY PLACEHOLDER — SAE International, NHTSA ADAS resources, manufacturer tech pages, Repair.org.]
Recommended Reading
- [Article placeholder] Jim Farley Thinks Your Car Is Too Dumb — /2026/06/22/jim-farley-thinks-your-car-is-too-dumb/
- [Article placeholder] Cops Are Using License Plate Readers — /2026/06/22/cops-are-using-license-plate-readers-to-stalk-their/
- [Article placeholder] Automotive Physics Lab — page ID 30736
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a connected car?
What are the levels of driving automation?
Is full self-driving available today?
What data does my car collect about me?
What are over-the-air updates?
Why are automakers charging subscriptions for features?
What is right to repair and why does it matter?
Can car software be hacked?
Are ADAS features standard on new cars?
Will my car become outdated as software changes?
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Latest News (Auto-Updating)
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Pa. Sheriff’s Two-Year Fight Over GPS in County Cars Ends Without a Ruling, and Both Sides Call It a Win
A Westmoreland County judge ruled the sheriff’s GPS tracking lawsuit moot, so no court has decided who controls the data from county patrol cars.
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Two Automakers’ Servers Still Took ‘admin:admin’ on a Hidden Console, Researchers Say. A Test Car Got Remote-Started. Fixes Took 2 Hours
Security researchers Sam Curry and Shubham Shah say the customer-login servers at two automakers still accepted the default password admin:admin on a hidden administrative console, and that the console was the first step toward unlocking and remote-starting a test car in the United States. Both companies fixed the problem about two hours after being told,…
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Cox Says the VinSolutions Breach Is Contained, but the Legal Exposure Sits With Dealers
Cox says the VinSolutions incident was contained. Under the FTC Safeguards Rule, the dealers whose customer files sit in the CRM carry the notification burden.
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Six Cars Stopped for a Dummy in a Warning Vest, Then Nearly All Missed One in Road-Crew Work Clothing, ADAC Found
ADAC’s night tests of six cars found emergency braking missed adults in work clothing and children in reflective gear, in many cases a software fix.
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Android Head Units Were Infected Through Their Own Updater, Kaspersky Says
Kaspersky says malware reached DoFun Android head units through their own update app, aiming to build a proxy botnet. Here is what car owners should know.
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Porsche’s Mission S Previews a Supercar Above the 911 With No Center Screen. Your Phone Snaps Into the Dash Instead
Porsche’s Mission S previews a permanent mid-engine supercar above the 911. Its dash has no center screen, just a MagSafe phone holder. Here’s what’s confirmed and what isn’t.
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He Had Both Escalade Keys at Home When It Vanished. Deputies Say Thieves Used a Computer to Make a Third
A Kendall Escalade owner woke up to an empty driveway and both keys still in the house. Miami-Dade deputies say a computer-programmed key and a signal jammer explain the rest.
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MapQuest Added a Layer of Eyeballs for Plate Readers. Its Help Page Doesn’t Say Where They Came From
MapQuest’s help center shows how to switch on a map layer of eye icons for surveillance cameras. It doesn’t say where the camera data comes from.
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Diesel Is Up $2.51 a Gallon and AI Is Leading the Layoff Charts. Anyone Who Has to Drive to Work Is Getting Squeezed
Fuel up 41 to 69 percent, AI the top-cited reason for layoffs, hiring nearly flat: every cost of keeping a car is rising for the households least able to absorb it.
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The Tesla Roadster That Flies Isn’t Approved for Public Roads, and Tesla’s Own Website Says So
Tesla’s own site says the Rocket Roadster that flies isn’t approved for public roads. The $50,000 reservation contract promises less than the 2017 version did.
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GM’s Eyes-Off Escalade IQ Will Say It’s Fine to Read Your Texts. Your State’s Phone Law Might Not
GM says a turquoise light on the 2028 Escalade IQ will tell drivers it is safe to catch up on messages. State phone laws in Michigan, Florida, Nevada and California disagree on whether that is legal, and none settles who is at fault during the handoff.
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A Heathrow Parking Firm Promised a Covered Compound. Customers’ Cars Got a Field.
A Heathrow meet-and-greet firm left customers’ cars in a field, on roadsides and in the airport’s own short-stay lot. The case shows what a driver gives away with the key fob, and what to check before handing it over.