[TorqueDog]

I mean, if the only option you want is the dealership support network, then yeah, great outcome I guess. It's not just about DIY, independent shops will also be restricted from performing repairs.

Is this specific to EVs? Not at all (John Deere's already dipped their toe in with farm equipment), but I can see the problem getting worse with the proliferation of EVs.

Anyone who has watched Louis Rossman on YouTube talk about Right to Repair understands the problem, and there is a very clear parallel between companies like Apple locking people out of getting replacement components or tying replacement components to device serial numbers, and the direction the automotive industry is going.

The cost of replacing a Model 3 battery, for example, is ~$16k USD and it must be purchased from Tesla. Search the web looking for replacement Tesla batteries and you can get plenty of used cells from wrecked Teslas, but you'll not find a brand new replacement anywhere... you have to go to Tesla for that. That hypothetical 1997 Corolla you mentioned could be virtually rebuilt using third-party components, down to the ECU itself.

Planned obsolescence and e-waste has been a growing problem for consumer electronics for a while, and as cars more closely resemble consumer electronics in their manufacturing, expect that to become an issue for the automotive industry too.

Now, I don't think the majority of people can afford to turn-over their cars the way they turn-over phones. Admittedly, I used to flip cars every 3-4 years, but I can't justify it anymore. But the cost to keep cars going if battery costs don't come WAY down and parts are not made available is going to put a lot of cars in the scrapyard well before their time.