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Will my car become outdated as software changes?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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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.
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Hyundai’s In-Cabin Camera Watches Drivers, and Four Owners Are Suing
Modern Hyundais keep an eye on the person behind the wheel, literally. An infrared camera on the steering column tracks your face and decides whether you’re paying attention. Four owners now say that judgment is unreliable enough to be a hazard, and they’ve taken the argument to federal court. The case According to the federal…
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Florida Deputies Grappled a Wanted Driver on I-75. His 16 Felonies Don’t Include Fleeing.
Hillsborough deputies used a Grappler to stop a wanted driver on I-75 near Fowler Avenue. His 16 felony charges include two car-reporting counts and none for fleeing.
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Your Car’s Phone App Roughly Doubled Its Ad-Tracker Exposure. Owners Can Switch Off Some of It
Northeastern researchers found that pairing a companion app roughly doubled a car’s exposure to advertising and tracking companies. Phone settings and privacy requests can cut some of that back. None of them is an off switch.
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Connected Car Apps Are Leaking VINs to Big Tech Ad Networks
Nobody cross-shops crossovers by their ad-tech stack. But a new study shows that whatever you drive home, a few of Silicon Valley’s biggest ad businesses probably came along for the ride. The peer-reviewed paper, titled “Automatic Transmission,” comes from Northeastern University’s Khoury College and will be presented at the ACM Internet Measurement Conference in Karlsruhe,…
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Audi’s EV Patent Calls for Real Motor Noise, Fake Gearshifts and Sparks Ground Off the Pavement
Audi’s German patent application would hard-mount an EV’s motor, strip its soundproofing, simulate gearshifts and turbo lag, and grind a sacrificial metal part on the road for sparks.