Reducing connected car tech costs by using own data plan

I mean, all modern "connected" cars do have e-sims, and manufacturers seem to be charging exorbitantly for these "connected" car features.

BHPian rajk15 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I was recently checking the amount of data used and I realized that I had more than 200GB of data that I had not used in the past month. This got me thinking- if my Apple Watch can use my number for the internet, why can modern cars not?

I mean, all modern "connected" cars do have e-sims, and manufacturers seem to be charging exorbitantly for these "connected" car features. Why can they not take a one-time lump sum for all the hardware+software (similar to phone OEMs) and allow us to enable our own e-sims in our cars using data from our number?

Also, while we are on the topic of "connected" car tech, should we not have laws that dictate all the software in the infotainment systems be visible to the common populace or at least have a service that assesses and shares the same- to ensure our data and privacy is not being breached?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Because automakers are salivating at the prospects of raking in the moolah! From NYTimes to Spotify, Dropbox to Shopify and Netflix to Windows 365, we are living in a subscription era. I myself have about 20 subscriptions (personal + business).

If the OEMs let you use your own SIM, how will they charge you a monthly fee?

They are so desperate that they even plan to start charging monthly subscription fees for heated seats (related article). I frankly don't think they'll be successful in charging for hardware usage, except on rental cars and perhaps leased vehicles. No one is going to pay a monthly fee for a hardware feature after spending 40-lakhs on the car.

Here's what BHPian Mafia had to say on the matter:

Looks like the famous Indian Jugaad will come to play if such subscriptions are enforced.

Bundled subscriptions will be the norm in the near future perhaps. Individual subscriptions will be soon too many to manage financially and practically. An app or service for bundled subscriptions seems like a good business idea.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.