Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Use an EV for your daily commute to save on gas and maintenance, not just for environmental reasons.
A person was spending over $200 a month on gasoline for her daily commute. Her friend, who drove an electric vehicle (EV), was spending less than $30 a month on electricity to cover the same distance. The EV owner also never had to worry about oil changes, spark plugs, or transmission fluid. While the environmental benefits were nice, the primary reason she loved her EV was the significant and immediate savings on her daily transportation costs.
Stop doing “range anxiety”. Do understand your daily driving habits and the real-world range of modern EVs instead.
A person was hesitant to buy an EV because he was worried about “range anxiety,” the fear of running out of battery. He thought he needed a car with 500 miles of range. He then took a week to track his actual daily driving. He discovered that he drove less than 40 miles on a typical day. He realized that a modern EV with a real-world range of 250 miles was far more than he would ever need for his daily life. For the rare long road trip, he could use the public fast-charging network.
The #1 secret for maximizing the range of your electric vehicle.
The secret is to drive smoothly and to maximize regenerative braking. An EV owner would drive his car like a gas car, with aggressive acceleration and hard braking. His range suffered. A more experienced EV driver learned to drive with one pedal. He would ease off the accelerator pedal well in advance of a stop, allowing the “regenerative braking” system to slow the car down smoothly while recapturing a significant amount of energy and sending it back to the battery. His smooth driving style easily added 10-15% to his daily range.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about EVs being “worse for the environment” than gas cars.
The lie, often spread with misleading data, is that the emissions from manufacturing an EV’s battery make it worse for the environment over its lifetime than a gasoline car. While it’s true that building an EV has a higher initial carbon footprint, this is quickly offset by the fact that the EV has zero tailpipe emissions. Numerous, comprehensive studies have shown that over its full lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal, a typical EV is responsible for significantly lower carbon emissions than a comparable gas car, and this advantage grows every year as the electricity grid gets cleaner.
I wish I knew this about the different levels of charging and how long they take before I bought my first EV.
When I got my first EV, I thought I could just plug it into a normal wall outlet. I was shocked to find that this “Level 1” charging only added about 4 miles of range per hour. It would take days to fully charge my car. I wish I had known about “Level 2” charging. By installing a 240-volt outlet in my garage, like the one used for an electric dryer, I could install a Level 2 charger that could fully charge my car overnight, every night.
I’m just going to say it: Once you experience the instant torque of an EV, you’ll never want to go back to a gas car.
A person who loved his powerful, gasoline-powered sports car test drove an EV for the first time. He was skeptical. Then, he pressed the accelerator pedal. The instantaneous, silent, and relentless acceleration pushed him back in his seat in a way his gas car never could. Because an electric motor delivers all of its torque from a standstill, the feeling of acceleration is immediate and thrilling. For him, the noisy, vibrating, and delayed response of a gasoline engine suddenly felt like an outdated relic.
99% of new EV owners make this one mistake with their charging habits.
The most common mistake is constantly using public DC fast chargers for their daily charging needs. A new EV owner would treat a fast charger like a gas station, visiting it every few days to “fill up.” He didn’t realize that frequent fast charging can be expensive and can degrade the battery’s health over the long term. The best practice for battery health and for your wallet is to do the vast majority of your charging at a slower Level 2 charger at home overnight.
This one small action of preconditioning your EV’s battery and cabin while it’s still plugged in will change your driving range forever.
An EV owner would get into her cold car on a winter morning, unplug it, and then turn the heat on full blast. The energy required to heat the cold cabin and the cold battery would consume a huge amount of the car’s range. She learned about preconditioning. Now, before she leaves, she uses the car’s app to precondition the car while it’s still plugged into the charger. The car uses power from the wall, not the battery, to warm everything up. This one small habit significantly preserved her driving range.
The reason your EV’s range is so low in the winter is because cold weather affects battery performance.
An EV owner was alarmed to see that his car’s range dropped by 30% in the winter. He thought his battery was failing. The reason is simple physics. The chemical reactions inside a lithium-ion battery are less efficient in cold weather. The cold also means you are using more energy to heat the cabin. This is a normal and expected behavior for all electric vehicles. Just as a gas car is less efficient in the cold, so is an EV.
If you’re still buying a new gas-powered car in 2025, you’re losing out on the future of driving.
A person bought a new gasoline-powered car. A few years later, she found that its resale value had plummeted as more and more people were switching to EVs. Gas prices were rising, and a growing number of cities were creating “zero-emission zones” where her car was no longer allowed. By buying a gas car in an era of rapid electrification, she had purchased a technology that was quickly becoming obsolete, much like buying a flip phone in the age of the smartphone.
EV Charging Infrastructure
Use a Level 2 charger at home for overnight charging, not just relying on a standard wall outlet.
A new EV owner tried to get by just plugging his car into a standard 120-volt wall outlet (Level 1). He found it was a frustratingly slow process, adding only a few miles of range per hour. He then had an electrician install a 240-volt outlet in his garage and bought a Level 2 charger. Now, he could plug his car in when he got home from work, and it would be fully charged every single morning. A Level 2 home charger is the key to making EV ownership convenient and seamless.
Stop worrying about finding a public charger. Do use apps like PlugShare to plan your route and find chargers on the go.
A person was hesitant to take a road trip in her EV because she was worried about finding chargers. Her friend showed her an app like PlugShare. The app had a map of nearly every public charging station, and it included user-submitted reviews, photos, and real-time status updates on whether the charger was in use or broken. By using the app to plan her route, she was able to easily find reliable chargers and complete her road trip with no anxiety at all.
The #1 hack for finding free EV charging stations.
The secret is to look for them at places that want to attract customers. Many grocery stores, shopping malls, and hotels offer free Level 2 EV charging as a perk for their customers. A savvy EV owner, instead of paying for a public charger, would plan his errands around these locations. He could get a few hours of free charging while he was shopping for groceries or seeing a movie. It’s a win-win: the business attracts a desirable customer, and the EV owner gets a free top-up.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about the “unavailability” of public EV charging.
The lie, often spread by EV skeptics, is that there are “no chargers anywhere.” While the charging infrastructure is still being built out, a person who actually owns an EV and uses a charging app is often surprised to find how many chargers are hidden in plain sight—in office parking garages, at municipal buildings, and at retail centers. The network is growing incredibly fast, and for most travel along major highways, finding a DC fast charger is no longer a significant challenge.
I wish I knew this about the different charging networks and payment methods before I took my first EV road trip.
On my first road trip, I pulled up to a charging station and discovered it was run by a network I had never heard of. I had to download a new app, create an account, and add my credit card information just to start the charge. It was a frustrating 20-minute process. I wish I had known to download the apps and create accounts for the major charging networks before I left home. This would have made the charging process as simple as pulling up and tapping my phone.
I’m just going to say it: The EV charging experience is still not as seamless as pumping gas, but it’s getting better every day.
A new EV owner on a road trip had a frustrating experience. The first charger he went to was broken. The second one required a specific app he didn’t have. It’s important to be honest: the public charging experience can still be inconsistent and clunky. However, with the standardization of “plug and charge” technology, where you can just plug the car in and it automatically handles the payment, and a massive investment in improving the reliability of the networks, the experience is improving at a rapid pace.
99% of EV drivers make this one mistake at public charging stations.
The most common and inconsiderate mistake is leaving their car plugged into a charger long after it has finished charging. A driver pulls into a charging station and finds that all the stalls are occupied, but half of the cars are already at a 100% charge. The owners are just using the spot for parking. Good EV etiquette dictates that as soon as your car is sufficiently charged, you should move it and free up the charger for the next person.
This one small habit of charging your EV to 80% for daily driving will change the lifespan of your battery forever.
A new EV owner would plug his car in every night and charge it all the way to 100%. He didn’t realize that repeatedly charging a lithium-ion battery to its absolute maximum capacity puts stress on it and can accelerate its long-term degradation. He learned a new habit: he set his car’s charging limit to 80% for his daily needs, which was more than enough range. He would only charge to 100% before a long road trip. This small habit can significantly extend the overall lifespan of the battery pack.
The reason you had a bad experience at a public charger is because another EV owner left their car parked there after it was finished charging.
You’re on a road trip, and your battery is low. You pull into a charging station, and your heart sinks. Every single stall is occupied. But as you look closer, you see that one of the cars has been at a 100% charge for over an hour. The owner is nowhere to be found. This act of “charger hogging” is one of the most frustrating parts of the public charging experience. It’s a problem of etiquette, not technology.
If you’re still an apartment dweller worried about EV charging, you’re losing sight of the growing number of solutions for multi-unit dwellings.
A person living in an apartment wanted to buy an EV but was worried because she couldn’t install a charger at home. She thought EV ownership was impossible for her. She then discovered that her workplace offered free EV charging. She also found a public fast-charging station near her grocery store. With a combination of workplace charging and public charging, she was able to easily own an EV without having a dedicated home charger. The charging landscape is becoming more diverse every year.
Autonomous Driving
Use driver-assist systems like Autopilot or Super Cruise to reduce fatigue on long drives, not as a replacement for your attention.
A person was on a long, boring, 5-hour highway drive. She enabled her car’s advanced driver-assist system. The car handled the steering and the speed control, keeping her centered in the lane and a safe distance from the car in front. This didn’t mean she could take a nap. It just reduced the mental workload of the drive, allowing her to arrive at her destination feeling much less fatigued and more refreshed. These systems are a powerful tool for assistance, not for full autonomy.
Stop thinking that “full self-driving” is already here. Do understand the different levels of automation and the limitations of current systems.
A person bought a car that was marketed with the name “Full Self-Driving.” He thought that meant he could get in the car and it would drive itself anywhere. He was wrong. What he had was a “Level 2” driver-assist system, which requires the driver to be paying attention and ready to take over at any moment. The “levels of automation,” from 0 to 5, are a crucial framework. True, “Level 5” autonomy, where the car can drive itself anywhere in any condition with no human oversight, does not yet exist in any commercially available vehicle.
The #1 secret that car companies don’t want you to know about their “self-driving” features.
The secret is that the impressive-sounding name of the feature—like “Autopilot” or “ProPILOT Assist”—is a marketing term, not a technical description of its capabilities. These names are often chosen to make the systems sound far more capable than they actually are. A driver, influenced by the name “Autopilot,” might be tempted to believe the car can fly itself. It is crucial to read the owner’s manual and to understand the real-world limitations of the system, not just the marketing name.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about the timeline for Level 5 autonomous vehicles.
The lie, which has been repeated by tech CEOs for years, is that true, “Level 5” self-driving cars are just one or two years away. A decade ago, many experts were predicting we would have fully autonomous cars on the road by now. The reality is that solving the final 1% of the problem—dealing with unpredictable “edge cases” like a strange construction zone or erratic human behavior—is exponentially harder than solving the first 99%. A future with fully autonomous cars is still a very long way off.
I wish I knew this about the danger of “automation complacency” when I first used an advanced driver-assist system.
I was on a long highway drive using my car’s driver-assist system. It was working so well and so smoothly that my mind started to wander. I became complacent. Suddenly, the car in front of me braked hard, and the system disengaged with a loud warning. I was not paying attention and had to slam on the brakes at the last second. I wish I had known that the better these systems get, the greater the risk of the human driver becoming overly trusting and tuning out.
I’m just going to say it: You are still responsible for driving the car, even when driver-assist is enabled.
A person was using his car’s advanced driver-assist system. He decided to watch a movie on his phone, thinking the car was driving itself. The car failed to navigate a tricky situation, and a crash occurred. In the eyes of the law and the insurance company, he was 100% at fault. With any system that is less than full Level 5 autonomy, the human in the driver’s seat is always the ultimate responsible party. You are not a passenger; you are a supervisor.
99% of drivers make this one mistake when using systems like Tesla’s Autopilot.
The most common and dangerous mistake is over-trusting the system and taking their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road. They see a video on the internet of someone doing this and think it’s safe. These systems can and do make mistakes, and they can disengage with very little warning. They are designed to assist an attentive driver, not to replace one. Keeping your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road is not a suggestion; it’s a requirement for using these systems safely.
This one small action of keeping your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road will change your safety when using driver-assist systems forever.
A driver was using his car’s lane-keeping assist on the highway. A truck in the next lane suddenly swerved into his lane. Because his hands were on the wheel and his eyes were on the road, he was able to instantly take control and swerve to avoid an accident. If he had been looking at his phone, the outcome would have been very different. These systems are a safety net, but you, the human driver, are the primary safety system.
The reason an autonomous vehicle crashed is because it encountered an “edge case” it wasn’t trained for.
An autonomous test vehicle was involved in an accident. The reason? It encountered a situation that was not represented in its training data. A pedestrian was crossing the street carrying a large, unusually shaped object, and the AI didn’t classify it as a person. The real world is infinitely complex and chaotic. The biggest challenge for autonomous driving is not the 99% of normal driving, but the infinite number of rare and unpredictable “edge cases” that a human driver can handle with common sense.
If you’re still not paying attention when using driver-assist features, you’re losing your life and the lives of others.
The story is tragically common. A driver, over-relying on a Level 2 driver-assist system, crashes because they were not paying attention. These systems are a powerful tool for reducing the fatigue and stress of driving, but they are not self-driving cars. The trade-off for the convenience they offer is the unwavering responsibility of the human driver to remain vigilant and ready to take control at a moment’s notice. The stakes are, quite literally, life and death.
In-Car Infotainment
Use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for a familiar and user-friendly interface, not the clunky native infotainment system.
A person bought a new car and was frustrated by the car manufacturer’s built-in infotainment system. The navigation was confusing, the music app was slow, and the voice commands never worked. She then plugged in her phone and Apple CarPlay launched on the screen. She was met with the familiar, simple, and responsive interface of her iPhone. She could now use Google Maps, Spotify, and Siri seamlessly. For most people, the user experience of CarPlay and Android Auto is vastly superior to any native system built by a car company.
Stop getting distracted by your car’s touchscreen. Do use voice commands for navigation and music instead.
A driver was trying to type a new address into his car’s touchscreen navigation system while driving. He was taking his eyes off the road for dangerously long periods. A smarter driver would use voice commands. He could simply press a button on his steering wheel and say, “Hey Google, navigate to 123 Main Street.” This allows him to perform complex tasks without ever taking his eyes off the road or his hands off the wheel, which is a massive improvement in safety.
The #1 hack for improving the sound quality of your car’s audio system.
The secret isn’t new speakers; it’s adjusting the equalizer (EQ) settings. A car’s default audio settings are often flat and lifeless. A car owner was disappointed with the sound of his new car’s stereo. He went into the audio settings and found the equalizer. He made a few small adjustments—boosting the bass and the treble slightly to create a “V” shape. This one, free adjustment completely changed the character of the sound, making it much more vibrant and enjoyable to listen to.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about the “premium” sound systems in cars.
The lie is that the “premium” audio system with a fancy brand name on it is always worth the extra money. A car manufacturer will charge an extra $2,000 for a “premium” sound system. An audio enthusiast did a comparison and found that for a fraction of that cost, he could have replaced the car’s basic speakers with much higher-quality aftermarket components and achieved a far better sound. Often, you are paying a huge premium for the brand name, not for a commensurate increase in audio quality.
I wish I knew this about the data privacy of my car’s infotainment system when I first connected my phone.
I connected my phone to my new car via Bluetooth. I was happy that my contacts and my call history were synced. I wish I had known that the car’s infotainment system had just downloaded and stored all of that personal information. When I sold the car a few years later, I forgot to do a factory reset of the infotainment system. My personal data—my contacts, my call logs, even my home address from the navigation history—was still there for the next owner to see.
I’m just going to say it: Most built-in car navigation systems are terrible compared to Google Maps or Waze.
A car’s built-in navigation system told a driver to take a certain route. She got stuck in a massive traffic jam that the system didn’t know about. The map data was out of date, and it had no access to real-time traffic information. An app like Google Maps or Waze, running through CarPlay or Android Auto, is constantly updated and uses real-time data from millions of other users to route you around traffic and accidents. For navigation, the crowd-sourced data from these apps is unbeatable.
99% of drivers make this one mistake with their car’s infotainment settings.
The most common mistake is never customizing it. A driver will use the infotainment screen with its default layout of a dozen different icons, most of which they never use. They don’t realize that on most modern systems, you can press and hold the icons to rearrange them, just like on a smartphone. By putting the three or four apps that you use most often—like your map and your music app—on the first page, you can create a much simpler and less distracting user experience.
This one small action of customizing your CarPlay or Android Auto home screen will change your in-car experience forever.
A driver was annoyed that she had to swipe through multiple pages in CarPlay to find her favorite podcast app. She took one small action: she went into her phone’s CarPlay settings and rearranged the icons. She put the three apps she used every day on the first screen and hid the ones she never used. This simple, one-time customization made her daily drive much more convenient and less distracting, as the functions she needed were always just a single tap away.
The reason your car’s infotainment system is so slow and buggy is because car companies are not software companies.
A person’s brand new car had an infotainment system that was slow to respond to touch and would frequently crash and reboot. The reason is that traditional car companies have decades of experience in mechanical engineering, but they are still relatively new to the world of software development. Their core competency is not in creating fast, reliable, and user-friendly software. This is why the software experience from tech companies like Apple (CarPlay) and Google (Android Auto) is often so much better.
If you’re still using a dashboard mount for your phone, you’re losing the seamless integration of CarPlay and Android Auto.
A driver was using a plastic suction cup mount to stick his phone to his dashboard so he could see the navigation. It was a clunky and distracting setup. His new car had Apple CarPlay. Now, when he plugged in his phone, the navigation, music, and messaging apps were all displayed beautifully and safely on the car’s large, built-in screen. He could control them with the car’s own knobs and steering wheel controls. This seamless integration is a far safer and more pleasant experience than a wobbly dashboard mount.
Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)
Use V2X technology to create a safer and more efficient transportation system, not just as a futuristic concept.
Imagine you are driving, and the car in front of you suddenly slams on its brakes. With Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology, your car would receive an instantaneous radio signal from that car, and it could warn you or even pre-emptively apply your brakes before you could even see the brake lights. This is not a futuristic concept; it’s the real-world application of V2X. It’s about using inter-vehicle communication to give cars the superhuman ability to see around corners and react faster than any human driver.
Stop thinking of your car as an isolated vehicle. Do imagine a future where cars can communicate with each other and with the infrastructure around them.
For a hundred years, a car has been a self-contained, isolated machine. V2X technology changes this. It creates a network where your car is constantly talking to the cars around it, to the traffic lights, and to the infrastructure. A car approaching an intersection could get a signal from the traffic light telling it how long until it turns green, allowing it to coast more efficiently. This connected ecosystem will make our entire transportation system safer and more intelligent.
The #1 secret for how V2X will prevent accidents.
The secret is its ability to see what the driver and even the car’s own sensors cannot. A car’s cameras and radar can’t see through a large truck that is in front of it. But with V2X, if the car in front of that truck suddenly stops, your car can receive that signal and know about the danger before any of your own sensors could possibly detect it. This “non-line-of-sight” awareness is the superpower of V2X, and it has the potential to prevent a huge percentage of common traffic accidents.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about the readiness of V2X technology.
The lie is that V2X is a far-off, futuristic technology. The reality is that the technology has been in development for decades, and some car manufacturers are already starting to deploy it in their vehicles. The bigger challenge is not the technology itself, but the “chicken and egg” problem of adoption. The technology is only useful when a critical mass of other cars and infrastructure also have it. This network effect is the primary barrier to widespread deployment, not the maturity of the technology.
I wish I knew this about the standards war between DSRC and C-V2X when I first started learning about connected cars.
When I first learned about V2X, I was confused by all the acronyms. I wish I had known that for years, there was a “standards war” between two different V2X technologies. DSRC was an older, Wi-Fi-based standard. C-V2X is a newer standard that uses cellular technology. This battle between competing standards slowed down the deployment of the technology for years. Now that the industry is largely consolidating around C-V2X, the path to widespread adoption is becoming much clearer.
I’m just going to say it: V2X is the most important automotive safety technology you’ve never heard of.
We hear a lot about airbags and anti-lock brakes. But the next great leap in automotive safety will be V2X. The ability for cars to cooperatively share information about their position, speed, and intent will prevent accidents before they happen. It will virtually eliminate intersection collisions and provide warnings for hazards that are around a blind corner. It’s a proactive safety technology, not a reactive one, and it has the potential to save millions of lives.
99% of city planners make this one mistake when thinking about smart city infrastructure.
The most common mistake is focusing on flashy, visible technologies while ignoring the invisible digital infrastructure. A city will spend money on smart streetlights but won’t invest in the underlying V2X communication network that would allow those lights to talk to cars. A truly smart city is a connected city. The deployment of V2X communication units in traffic signals, crosswalks, and on roadways is the foundational layer upon which a huge number of future smart city applications will be built.
This one small action of enabling V2X features in your next car will change the way we think about road safety forever.
A person is buying a new car. She has the option to add a technology package that includes V2X capabilities. She decides to get it. While she might not see the direct benefits today, she is contributing to the network effect. As more and more people make this same choice, the connected car network will grow, and the safety benefits will become more apparent for everyone. Her individual choice is a vote for a safer, more connected transportation future.
The reason we still have traffic jams is because our cars are not coordinating with each other, but V2X will change that.
A traffic jam is often caused by a single, small event—one person braking too hard—that creates a “phantom” shockwave that travels backward through the traffic. Our cars are all reacting independently and inefficiently. In a future where all cars have V2X, they could coordinate their movements. A group of cars could act like a “platoon,” safely traveling closer together and at a more consistent speed. This level of coordination could dramatically increase the capacity of our existing highways and reduce congestion.
If you’re still not excited about V2X, you’re losing sight of a future with zero accidents and zero congestion.
It sounds like science fiction, but this is the ultimate vision that V2X technology enables. A world where cars are constantly communicating, coordinating, and aware of each other’s presence and intentions is a world where human error—the cause of over 90% of accidents—is largely eliminated from the equation. It’s a world where traffic flows smoothly and efficiently. While this future is still a long way off, V2X is the fundamental enabling technology that will make it possible.
Car Subscription Services
Use a car subscription service for flexibility, not as a cheaper alternative to owning a car.
A consultant knew she was going to be relocated for her job in a year. Instead of buying or leasing a car, she used a car subscription service. For a single, all-inclusive monthly fee, she got a car, insurance, and maintenance. At the end of the year, she could simply cancel the subscription and walk away. While the monthly cost was higher than a lease payment, the flexibility of the short-term commitment was perfect for her uncertain situation. A subscription is a service, not an asset.
Stop thinking about car ownership as a long-term commitment. Do explore the possibility of subscribing to a car on a monthly basis.
A person’s life was changing. She needed a small, fuel-efficient car for her city commute, but she also wanted a large SUV for weekend family trips. In the old model, she would have to compromise. With a car subscription service, she could have both. She could subscribe to the small car for her daily needs and then use the service’s “flip” feature to swap it for an SUV for a specific weekend. This provided a level of flexibility that traditional ownership could never match.
The #1 tip for choosing the right car subscription service for your lifestyle.
The most important tip is to carefully read the fine print about the mileage limits. A person signed up for a car subscription that seemed like a great deal. He didn’t realize it had a very low monthly mileage limit. Because he had a long commute, he quickly exceeded the limit and was hit with expensive per-mile overage fees. The “great deal” suddenly became very expensive. Before you subscribe, you must have a realistic understanding of how many miles you drive and choose a plan that fits your usage.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about the “all-inclusive” price of car subscriptions.
The lie is that the advertised monthly price is the only thing you will ever have to pay. A subscriber was surprised to find that while the subscription fee included the car, the insurance, and the maintenance, it did not include taxes, registration fees, or the cost of excess wear and tear. It’s crucial to understand exactly what is and is not included in the “all-inclusive” price to get a true picture of the total monthly cost.
I wish I knew this about the mileage limits and restrictions of car subscription services before I signed up.
I was so excited about the flexibility of my new car subscription. I decided to take a spontaneous cross-country road trip. I wish I had read my contract more carefully. I discovered that not only did my plan have a strict monthly mileage limit, but it also had a geographic restriction that prohibited me from taking the car out of state. My dream of a spontaneous adventure was quickly shut down by the fine print in my subscription agreement.
I’m just going to say it: Car subscriptions are perfect for people who want to try an EV without a long-term commitment.
A person was curious about electric vehicles but was hesitant to spend $50,000 to buy one. She wasn’t sure if it would fit her lifestyle or if she would be able to charge it easily. She found a car subscription service that offered EVs. She was able to subscribe to an EV for a few months to try it out. This “try before you buy” model gave her the real-world experience she needed to make a confident decision, without the financial risk of a long-term purchase or lease.
99% of people make this one mistake when they consider a car subscription.
The most common mistake is only comparing the monthly subscription fee to a monthly lease payment. A person will see that the subscription is more expensive per month and will dismiss it. They fail to account for all the other costs of ownership that the subscription includes: the down payment on the lease, the cost of insurance, the routine maintenance, and the registration fees. When you calculate the total monthly cost of ownership, a subscription can often be much more competitive than it appears at first glance.
This one small action of calculating the total cost of a subscription versus a lease will change your decision-making process forever.
A person was trying to decide between a three-year lease and a car subscription. She took one small action: she created a simple spreadsheet. She added up all the costs for the lease—the down payment, the monthly payment, the insurance, the estimated maintenance. She then compared this to the single, all-inclusive monthly fee of the subscription. This clear, apples-to-apples comparison of the total cost of ownership gave her the data she needed to make an informed financial decision.
The reason a car subscription might be a bad deal is if you drive a lot of miles.
Car subscription services make their money by being able to reuse the same car for multiple subscribers. Their business model is dependent on keeping the mileage on the cars relatively low. For a person who has a very long daily commute or who frequently takes long road trips, the low mileage limits and high overage fees of most subscription plans will make it a very poor financial choice compared to a traditional lease or purchase, which often have much higher mileage allowances.
If you’re still buying a new car every few years, you’re losing the flexibility and convenience of a subscription.
A person had a habit of getting a new car every three years. The process was always a hassle: he had to negotiate the trade-in value of his old car, haggle over the price of the new one, and deal with all the paperwork. A car subscription offers a much simpler alternative. It provides the same feeling of always having a new car, but with the added flexibility to change cars or cancel the service with just a month’s notice, all without the traditional hassles of car ownership.
Automotive Cybersecurity
Use a car with a strong cybersecurity posture, not just one with cool tech features.
A person bought a new, highly-connected car because he loved its massive touchscreen and all of its cool tech features. He didn’t know that the manufacturer had a poor track record on cybersecurity. His friend, a security professional, chose a different car. It might have had a smaller screen, but she had researched the manufacturer and knew they took cybersecurity seriously, with features like encrypted communications and a dedicated security team. She chose security over shiny features.
Stop thinking that your car can’t be hacked. Do be aware of the potential risks and take steps to protect yourself.
A person thought that car hacking was just something that happened in movies. He didn’t realize that a modern car can have over 100 million lines of code and dozens of wireless connections—for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular—all of which are potential attack vectors. Security researchers have repeatedly demonstrated the ability to remotely hack into cars, controlling everything from the radio to the brakes. While the risk for an average person is still low, it’s important to be aware that the threat is real.
The #1 secret for protecting your connected car from being hacked.
The secret is to practice good digital hygiene, just like you would for your computer. This means using a strong, unique password for your car’s mobile app, being cautious about what third-party apps you connect to your car, and being skeptical of any suspicious emails or messages that ask for your car’s login information. Many car hacks, like other cyberattacks, start not with a complex technical exploit, but with a simple phishing attack that tricks the owner into giving up their credentials.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about the security of your car’s key fob.
The lie is that the rolling codes used by modern key fobs are completely secure. While they are a huge improvement over older systems, hackers have developed sophisticated “relay attacks.” A hacker can use one device to capture the signal from your key fob while it’s in your house, and another device next to your car to “replay” that signal, tricking the car into thinking the key is present. Storing your key fob in a signal-blocking “Faraday pouch” can protect against this specific type of attack.
I wish I knew this about the dangers of plugging untrusted devices into my car’s USB port.
I was on a road trip and my phone was dying. I borrowed a USB charging cable from a stranger at a rest stop and plugged it into my car. I wish I had known about the risk of “juice jacking.” A malicious charging cable can be designed to not only charge your device but also to inject malware into your car’s infotainment system, potentially giving an attacker access to your data or even the car’s controls. I learned to only ever use my own, trusted charging cables.
I’m just going to say it: A modern car is a computer on wheels, and it’s just as vulnerable to cyberattacks.
A person would never dream of using their laptop without antivirus software, but they never thought about the security of their car. A modern vehicle is a complex network of dozens of small computers, all controlling critical functions like the engine, the brakes, and the steering. As these systems become more connected to the internet, they become more vulnerable to the same kinds of remote cyberattacks that have plagued the computer industry for decades.
99% of car owners make this one mistake that puts their vehicle at risk.
The most common mistake is ignoring software update notifications from the manufacturer. A car owner gets a notification on his infotainment screen about a new software update being available. He ignores it because he doesn’t want to be inconvenienced. He doesn’t realize that the update contains a critical security patch for a recently discovered vulnerability. By not installing the update, he is leaving his car’s digital door wide open for a potential attacker.
This one small action of keeping your car’s software updated will change its security forever.
A car manufacturer discovered a major security vulnerability in their vehicles’ software that could allow a hacker to remotely disable the brakes. They immediately developed a patch and pushed it out as an over-the-air software update. The car owners who promptly installed the update were protected. The ones who ignored it remained vulnerable. Just like with your phone or your computer, keeping your car’s software up-to-date is the single most important thing you can do to protect it from the latest cybersecurity threats.
The reason cars are becoming a target for hackers is because they are collecting a massive amount of personal data.
A modern connected car is a data collection machine. It knows where you drive, how fast you drive, where you shop, and who you call from your connected phone. This data is incredibly valuable to advertisers, insurance companies, and criminals. The reason cars are a growing target for cyberattacks is not just to steal the car itself, but to steal the vast trove of personal data that the car is constantly generating about its owner.
If you’re still not thinking about the cybersecurity of your car, you’re losing your privacy and potentially your safety.
Imagine a future where a hacker could ransom your car, refusing to let you start it until you pay them in cryptocurrency. Or where an attacker could remotely track your every move through your car’s GPS. These are not science fiction scenarios; they are the real-world risks of insecure connected vehicles. As cars become more connected and autonomous, their cybersecurity will become one of the most critical safety features of all.
Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates
Use OTA updates to get new features and improvements for your car, not just for bug fixes.
A person bought a new car. A few months later, she received an over-the-air (OTA) software update. It wasn’t just a bug fix; the update included a brand new feature—a “dog mode” that would keep the car’s climate control on for her pet—and it improved the car’s driving range by 5%. A car with OTA updates is not a static object; it’s a product that continuously improves and gains new features over time, long after you’ve driven it off the lot.
Stop going to the dealership for software updates. Do enjoy the convenience of your car getting better while it’s parked in your garage.
A car owner received a recall notice that required a software update. He had to take a day off work, drive to the dealership, and wait for hours for a technician to plug a laptop into his car. His friend, who owned a car with OTA capabilities, got a notification on her phone about a new update. She tapped “install,” and the car updated itself overnight while it was parked in her garage. The convenience of OTA updates completely eliminates one of the most annoying parts of traditional car ownership.
The #1 tip for ensuring your car’s OTA update is successful.
The most important tip is to make sure your car has a strong and stable internet connection during the download process. While some updates can be downloaded over the car’s cellular connection, for large updates, it’s best to connect your car to your home Wi-Fi network. A strong Wi-Fi connection will make the download process much faster and will prevent the download from being interrupted, which could potentially cause the update to fail.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about OTA updates.
The lie is that all OTA updates are the same. A car manufacturer might advertise that their car has “OTA updates,” but this might only apply to the infotainment system. A truly software-defined car, like a Tesla, can update nearly every computer in the vehicle over the air, from the battery management system to the core driving dynamics. This ability to update the fundamental software of the car is what allows for significant improvements in performance and safety, which is a much bigger deal than just updating the maps.
I wish I knew this about the potential for OTA updates to completely change the driving experience of a car.
I bought a car, and I thought I knew exactly what it was capable of. A year later, an OTA update was released that improved the car’s 0-60 acceleration time, increased its driving range, and added a new, more advanced driver-assist feature. The car I was driving was now significantly better than the car I had originally purchased, and I didn’t have to do anything. I wish I had known that with OTA updates, the car you buy today might be a completely different and better car a year from now.
I’m just going to say it: Tesla has shown the entire auto industry the power of OTA updates.
For a hundred years, a car was a static piece of hardware that only got worse over time. Tesla, with its software-first approach, completely changed this. They demonstrated that a car could be updated like a smartphone, constantly receiving new features, performance improvements, and even fun new games. They showed that a car’s value could actually increase over time. Now, every single legacy automaker is scrambling to catch up and to build the software capabilities needed to compete in this new era.
99% of car owners make this one mistake when they receive an OTA update notification.
The most common mistake is procrastinating on installing the update. A person will see the update notification on their car’s screen and will just keep hitting “remind me later” because they don’t want to be inconvenienced. They don’t realize that the update might contain critical security patches or important safety improvements. By delaying the update, they are leaving their car vulnerable and are missing out on the latest features.
This one small action of connecting your car to your home Wi-Fi will change the way you receive OTA updates forever.
A car owner was relying on the car’s built-in cellular connection to download software updates. The process was often slow, and sometimes it would fail if the cellular signal was weak. He took one small action: he connected his car to his home Wi-Fi network. Now, when he parked his car in the garage, it would automatically connect to the fast and reliable Wi-Fi, and any large software updates would be downloaded quickly and seamlessly in the background.
The reason your car doesn’t have the latest features is because your automaker doesn’t offer OTA updates.
A person was jealous of her friend’s car, which had just received a cool new feature via an OTA update. Her own car, which was the same age, felt outdated. The reason was simple: her car’s manufacturer had not invested in the underlying technology to support significant OTA updates. In the modern automotive world, a car’s software capabilities are becoming just as important as its hardware. A car that cannot be updated over the air will become obsolete much more quickly.
If you’re still buying a car that can’t be updated over the air, you’re losing out on a car that evolves with you.
Imagine buying a smartphone that could never get a new app or a new operating system update. You would never do it. A car is becoming a “smartphone on wheels.” Buying a car without robust OTA update capabilities is like buying a phone that is stuck in time. You are losing out on the potential for new features, improved performance, and a car that gets better, safer, and more fun to drive over the course of your ownership.
Telematics and Car Insurance
Use a telematics program to get a discount on your car insurance, not just as a way for your insurance company to spy on you.
A person was hesitant to sign up for her insurance company’s telematics program, feeling like it was an invasion of her privacy. Her friend, a safe driver, saw it as an opportunity. By plugging the small device into her car, she was able to prove to the insurance company that she was a low-risk driver. After a few months, her premium was reduced by 30%. She was using the technology not as a surveillance tool, but as a way to get a fair price for her insurance based on her actual behavior.
Stop being afraid of usage-based insurance. Do prove that you’re a safe driver and get rewarded for it.
A young driver was being quoted an incredibly high insurance premium simply because of his age and gender. It felt unfair. He signed up for a usage-based insurance program that used a mobile app to track his driving habits. He was a very safe and responsible driver, and the data proved it. The insurance company was able to give him a significant discount. He was no longer being penalized for the stereotypes of his demographic; he was being rewarded for his individual driving record.
The #1 secret for getting the maximum discount from your insurance company’s telematics program.
The secret is to focus on avoiding the specific behaviors that the insurance company penalizes the most. A driver learned that her telematics program was highly sensitive to “hard braking” events. She started to change her driving style. She would look further ahead, anticipate stops, and coast more smoothly to a stop instead of braking hard at the last second. This one small change in her driving habit dramatically improved her “safety score” and maximized the discount she received.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about how insurance companies use your telematics data.
The lie is that the insurance company is watching your every move in real-time like a private investigator. The reality is that they are using an automated system to analyze a few key data points—such as hard braking, rapid acceleration, speeding, and late-night driving—to create a statistical risk score. They are not interested in the fact that you drove to the grocery store; they are only interested in the aggregated data that helps them to more accurately price your risk.
I wish I knew this about the importance of avoiding hard braking and rapid acceleration when I first signed up for a telematics program.
When I first used a telematics app, I drove like I normally did. I was surprised to see that my safety score was low. I looked at the data and saw that I had a high number of “hard braking” and “rapid acceleration” events. I didn’t think of myself as an aggressive driver, but the data showed otherwise. I wish I had known that these two metrics are often the most heavily weighted in the scoring algorithm. By learning to drive more smoothly, I could have significantly improved my score.
I’m just going to say it: Telematics is making car insurance fairer.
For a hundred years, car insurance has been priced based on crude, demographic proxies for risk: your age, your gender, your zip code. This is often unfair. A safe, 20-year-old driver might pay more than a reckless 40-year-old driver. Telematics changes this. It allows your insurance premium to be based, at least in part, on how you actually drive. This usage-based model is a much fairer and more individualized way to price risk.
99% of drivers make this one mistake that lowers their score in a telematics program.
The most common mistake is using their phone while driving. Many telematics apps can now detect when the phone is being handled while the car is in motion. A driver who is frequently texting or scrolling while driving will see their safety score plummet. This is not just bad for your insurance premium; it’s incredibly dangerous. The data from telematics programs consistently shows that distracted driving is one of the biggest predictors of future accidents.
This one small habit of reviewing your driving data in the app will change your driving habits and your insurance premium forever.
A driver would get his monthly driving report from his insurance app but wouldn’t pay much attention to it. He decided to start a new habit: he would take five minutes every week to review his trips in the app. The app showed him exactly where and when he had a hard braking or a rapid acceleration event. This immediate, specific feedback made him much more aware of his own driving habits and allowed him to consciously work on becoming a smoother, safer driver, which in turn lowered his insurance premium.
The reason your car insurance is so high is because you’re being priced based on demographics, not on how you actually drive.
A person with a perfect driving record—no accidents, no tickets—was frustrated that her insurance premium was still very high. The reason was that she lived in a zip code with a high rate of accidents. She was being penalized for the behavior of her neighbors. Telematics offers a way out of this demographic trap. It gives safe drivers a way to prove that their individual risk is lower than what their demographic profile would suggest, which can lead to a significantly lower premium.
If you’re still a safe driver paying a high insurance premium, you’re losing money by not using telematics.
Imagine two neighbors on the same street with the same car and the same demographic profile. They are both paying the same high insurance premium. The first person is a reckless driver. The second person is a very safe driver. The first person is being undercharged for their risk, and the second person is subsidizing them. By using a telematics program, the safe driver can differentiate herself and get the lower rate she deserves. Not using telematics means you are potentially leaving a lot of money on the table.
The Future of Car Ownership
Use a mix of transportation options (ride-sharing, public transit, personal car), not just relying on a single car for everything.
A person owned a large SUV. He would drive it by himself for his short daily commute, which was an expensive and inefficient way to travel. He started to adopt a “multi-modal” approach. He would take the train to work, use a ride-sharing service to go out on a weekend night, and only use his personal car for large grocery trips or family outings. By choosing the right tool for each specific transportation job, he was able to save money and reduce his environmental impact.
Stop thinking of car ownership as a necessity. Do consider the possibility of a future where you don’t own a car at all.
For a hundred years, owning a car has been a symbol of freedom and a rite of passage. But for a young person living in a dense city today, it’s often a massive financial burden and a huge hassle. With the rise of reliable ride-sharing, public transit, and car-sharing services, a future where many people choose not to own a car at all is becoming increasingly viable. The “freedom” of not having to worry about car payments, insurance, parking, and maintenance is a new kind of freedom.
The #1 tip for living without a car in a car-centric city.
The most important tip is to choose where you live very carefully. A person who tried to live without a car in a sprawling, car-dependent suburb found it to be nearly impossible. A person who deliberately chose to live in a walkable neighborhood with good access to public transit and a nearby grocery store found that living without a car was not only possible but actually enjoyable. Your location is the single biggest factor that determines your transportation needs.
The biggest lie you’ve been told about the “freedom” of car ownership.
The lie is that owning a car is the ultimate form of freedom. The reality for many is the opposite. A person is tied to a monthly car payment, an expensive insurance bill, and the constant stress of traffic and finding parking. His “freedom” machine is actually a major source of financial and mental stress. The ability to summon a ride with the tap of a button or to hop on a train offers a different kind of freedom: the freedom from the burdens of ownership.
I wish I knew this about the true cost of owning a car (including depreciation, insurance, and maintenance) when I bought my first one.
When I bought my first car, I only thought about the monthly payment. I was naive. I didn’t factor in the cost of insurance, which was huge. I didn’t factor in the cost of gas. And most importantly, I didn’t understand depreciation—the fact that my new car would lose a huge percentage of its value the moment I drove it off the lot. I wish I had calculated the total cost of ownership, which was nearly double what I had anticipated.
I’m just going to say it: For many young people in cities, owning a car no longer makes financial sense.
A young professional living in a city calculated the total cost of owning a car. Between the car payment, the insurance, the gas, and the $300 a month he would have to pay for a parking spot, the total was over $800 a month. He realized that he could take a ride-sharing service everywhere he wanted to go and still spend less than half of that amount. For urban dwellers, the combination of alternative transportation options has made car ownership an increasingly irrational financial decision.
99% of people make this one mistake when they calculate the cost of car ownership.
The most common mistake is forgetting to account for depreciation. A person will buy a new car for $40,000. Five years later, it’s worth only $15,000. They have lost $25,000 to depreciation. This is a real, and often the largest, cost of owning a car, but because it’s not a monthly bill, people tend to ignore it. A true calculation of the cost of ownership must include the massive and unavoidable cost of the car losing its value over time.
This one small action of trying to go car-free for a week will change your perspective on transportation forever.
A person who had driven everywhere for her entire adult life decided to try an experiment: she would not use her personal car for one full week. She was forced to take the bus, use a bike-sharing service, and walk more. The experience was eye-opening. She discovered new parts of her city, she got more exercise, and she realized how much stress her daily commute was causing her. This one small experiment completely changed her perspective and prompted her to use her car much less frequently.
The reason you’re so stressed and in debt is because of your car-dependent lifestyle.
A person was struggling financially and was always stressed out. A big part of the reason was his car. He had a large car payment and high insurance costs. His long, traffic-filled commute was a major source of daily stress. His entire life was structured around the necessity of owning and operating a car. By choosing to live in a more walkable or transit-oriented way, he could have simultaneously improved both his financial health and his mental health.
If you’re still thinking that you’ll own a car in 20 years, you’re losing sight of the massive changes happening in transportation.
Imagine telling someone in 1900 that in 20 years, the horse and buggy would be replaced by the automobile. They would have thought you were crazy. We are at a similar inflection point today. The convergence of electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and ride-sharing services is creating a new transportation paradigm. The traditional model of individual car ownership, which has dominated the last century, is unlikely to be the dominant model for the next one.