When Your Vehicle Outlives Its Cloud: What Happens Next?

Michael Harley for Ars Technica: In 2022, many US cellular carriers, including AT&T, T‑Mobile/Sprint, and Verizon, shut down their 3G networks to create system capacity for upcoming 4G and 5G rollouts. When the 3G signal finally ceased, vehicles with the technology lost their connected cloud-based services (Porsche, Nissan, and Volkswagen were just a few of the automakers affected). Lexus owners felt this shift acutely. The company’s Enform connectivity, which relied on the 3G network and was fitted to nearly all 2010–2017 models, went dark overnight because the hardware simply wasn’t forward‑compatible. (Lexus refunded owners for paid time left, while opportunistic dealers suggested that frustrated owners upgrade to a new Lexus that supported current technology.) Last year, Acura announced that it would stop supporting vehicles with the older AcuraLink-backed stack and feature set, eliminating app-based remote access, service reminders, lock/unlock capabilities, “Find My Car,” and…