Years ago when I was in college, one teacher (not a professor) was bragging about his apparent wealth, one item that he mentioned struck me as a smart investment. He boasted about being an owner of an auto repair shop. This way his autos would always be in excellent shape. This struck me as a good idea.
On aside I had another, this time a professor state he owned enough utility stocks to have his monthly bills covered by the dividends, I also really liked this idea.
I have attempted in broaching the topic with one but passed quickly and have since given up on the idea. What was a brilliant idea 40 years ago, is not now as smart a proposition.
Over the past decade, cars have gotten more complex and computerized. Each vehicle is now studded with sensors, packed with hundreds or thousands of computer chips, and controlled by software. Auto industry insiders have waxed poetic about the safety benefits of the “software-defined vehicle”—which also enables revenue-boosting data collection and subscriptions that make it safer to be an auto executive too.
Less talked about are the consequences of computerized cars at the auto shop. Fixing complex vehicles requires increasingly expert and expensive knowledge, and tools that are in limited supply.