A lot of “cutting edge convenience” tech in cars is in this limbo state where it’s still “rich person toy” status. This isn’t conjecture, think about how Tesla specifically is the forerunner in self driving tech, and their main demo of buyers is literally rich (or retired!) https://twitter.com/nolanjsykes/status/1381747367104241666

white men in their 40s.
Tesla is the poster child for brands that *look* like they’re struggling to bring the cutting edge results of lots of expensive R&D to the masses, and it’s true that there is an ocean of potential investment in advanced electric cars as a common good,

and the day of the sub 20K Tesla (or Tesla competitor) I think, is not far off. From the outside tho, this honestly (and for honest reasons) makes it seem like pioneering conveniences like self driving are little more than shiny coins for a wealthy persons treasure pile.

The truth is that the uses and demand for self driving vehicles are INCREDIBLE, and that the limiting factor is not the tech, but the infrastructure. A topic for another thread.

Anyway, until brands like Tesla, which I bring up so much because they are by and large leading

the way for what the future of the mass market automobile will feel like, break their typecast of being a rich mans toy, the image will stick. A job that is just as much on the shoulders of them, and on government legislation, as it is on the market.
This isn’t my way of

making a “I’m not like other girls” subversive-but-not-really take where I am actually rallying behind Elon’s methods and form of branding. I’m saying that the effects of capitalism go beyond who gets what money, they also hide conveniences from the people who need them.

This thread isn’t meant to come after Nolan in any way, I’m glad people are curious about these sorts of things. The reality is that more things about various industries will make a lot more sense once you understand that the truth about stuff that seems “cool”, the stuff that

would make your life (or the lives of the countless people who honestly would love to have a self driving car, or genuinely need one) easier, that seems so disconnected or a pipe dream, is that the bridge has to get built, and that time won’t make it appear.