Toyota has given up on EVs. Not.

So, it seems in Germany it is illegal to start your car and let it warm up before departing. In the name of emissions, you have to drive a cold car and let it heat up on the way. To keep people from pre-warming their cars in Germany, Lexus has remotely disabled the remote start feature. Not sure if detects you starting the car manually and letting it idle while you scrape the snow off your windows, but I would not be surprised if they remotely shut the car off if it doesn't move within a couple of minutes of starting. And I'm guessing they have the warm-up police that patrol neighborhoods looking for violators and have a network of snitches to rat you out if you try to do it anyway.
The Third Reich is alive and well. Zieg Heil!

Yes, there is truth to the reports about Lexus remotely disabling features related to warm-up functions due to regulatory compliance in Germany. Here are the details:

Key Points on Lexus Remote Disabling​

  1. Regulatory Compliance:
    • German authorities have mandated that certain features, such as remote engine warm-up, be disabled on combustion-engine vehicles to reduce emissions. This decision is aimed at preventing unnecessary running of engines which contributes to exhaust pollution.
  2. Affected Features:
    • The parking pre-heating feature, which allows drivers to warm up their cars remotely during cold weather, has been disabled. This change is being implemented to avoid fines for vehicle owners under strict environmental regulations.
  3. Official Confirmation:
    • A Toyota spokesman confirmed that the feature was turned off to protect users from potential penalties, indicating that this action is more about compliance with governmental regulations rather than a policy change by Lexus.
  4. Impact on Vehicles:
    • The remote start feature remains available on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids since they do not rely on combustion engines for cabin heating.

  5. Implications​

    This situation raises questions about consumer ownership and control over vehicle features when they can be modified or disabled remotely by manufacturers for compliance with regulations.
 
no4mk1t said:
So, it seems in Germany it is illegal to start your car and let it warm up before departing. In the name of emissions, you have to drive a cold car and let it heat up on the way. To keep people from pre-warming their cars in Germany, Lexus has remotely disabled the remote start feature. Not sure if detects you starting the car manually and letting it idle while you scrape the snow off your windows, but I would not be surprised if they remotely shut the car off if it doesn't move within a couple of minutes of starting. And I'm guessing they have the warm-up police that patrol neighborhoods looking for violators and have a network of snitches to rat you out if you try to do it anyway.
The Third Reich is alive and well. Zieg Heil!

Yes, there is truth to the reports about Lexus remotely disabling features related to warm-up functions due to regulatory compliance in Germany. Here are the details:

Key Points on Lexus Remote Disabling​

  1. Regulatory Compliance:
    • German authorities have mandated that certain features, such as remote engine warm-up, be disabled on combustion-engine vehicles to reduce emissions. This decision is aimed at preventing unnecessary running of engines which contributes to exhaust pollution.
  2. Affected Features:
    • The parking pre-heating feature, which allows drivers to warm up their cars remotely during cold weather, has been disabled. This change is being implemented to avoid fines for vehicle owners under strict environmental regulations.
  3. Official Confirmation:
    • A Toyota spokesman confirmed that the feature was turned off to protect users from potential penalties, indicating that this action is more about compliance with governmental regulations rather than a policy change by Lexus.
  4. Impact on Vehicles:
    • The remote start feature remains available on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids since they do not rely on combustion engines for cabin heating.

  5. Implications​

    This situation raises questions about consumer ownership and control over vehicle features when they can be modified or disabled remotely by manufacturers for compliance with regulations.
Click to expand...

This applies to trucks:
www.topmarkfunding.com

Anti-Idling Laws In The United States – TopMark Funding

Various states in the United States have enacted anti-idling laws to curb pollution. Here is a basic rundown.
www.topmarkfunding.com www.topmarkfunding.com

So I asked Grok about private cars:

1768583079064.png


Of COURSE it was NEW JERSEY!
 
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It's been rumored for years all cars with the telematics antenna have a remote 'kill' switch. They also have a black box. The public is generally not informed of this and neither are 'regular' cops. Basically, if they can unlock your doors remotely they can easily shut down the engine too. They can also activate the telematics system remotely.

In personal injury and vehicular manslaughter cases, the black box data has been used to convict defendants or win civil cases. How fast were they going, when and how forcefully were the brakes applied, etc.
 
Bongo Lewi said:
It's been rumored for years all cars with the telematics antenna have a remote 'kill' switch. They also have a black box. The public is generally not informed of this and neither are 'regular' cops. Basically, if they can unlock your doors remotely they can easily shut down the engine too. They can also activate the telematics system remotely.

In personal injury and vehicular manslaughter cases, the black box data has been used to convict defendants or win civil cases. How fast were they going, when and how forcefully were the brakes applied, etc.
Click to expand...
A good reason to locate the antenna lead and cut it. :rolleyes:
 
no4mk1t said:
So, it seems in Germany it is illegal to start your car and let it warm up before departing. In the name of emissions, you have to drive a cold car and let it heat up on the way. To keep people from pre-warming their cars in Germany, Lexus has remotely disabled the remote start feature. Not sure if detects you starting the car manually and letting it idle while you scrape the snow off your windows, but I would not be surprised if they remotely shut the car off if it doesn't move within a couple of minutes of starting. And I'm guessing they have the warm-up police that patrol neighborhoods looking for violators and have a network of snitches to rat you out if you try to do it anyway.
The Third Reich is alive and well. Zieg Heil!

Yes, there is truth to the reports about Lexus remotely disabling features related to warm-up functions due to regulatory compliance in Germany. Here are the details:

Key Points on Lexus Remote Disabling​

  1. Regulatory Compliance:
    • German authorities have mandated that certain features, such as remote engine warm-up, be disabled on combustion-engine vehicles to reduce emissions. This decision is aimed at preventing unnecessary running of engines which contributes to exhaust pollution.
  2. Affected Features:
    • The parking pre-heating feature, which allows drivers to warm up their cars remotely during cold weather, has been disabled. This change is being implemented to avoid fines for vehicle owners under strict environmental regulations.
  3. Official Confirmation:
    • A Toyota spokesman confirmed that the feature was turned off to protect users from potential penalties, indicating that this action is more about compliance with governmental regulations rather than a policy change by Lexus.
  4. Impact on Vehicles:
    • The remote start feature remains available on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids since they do not rely on combustion engines for cabin heating.

  5. Implications​

    This situation raises questions about consumer ownership and control over vehicle features when they can be modified or disabled remotely by manufacturers for compliance with regulations.
Click to expand...

Then there was the IDIOTIC idea to add "Auto Stop-Start" to cars in the USA to "reduce emissions." 🤮

The BEST $100 I spent on my new Outback was a gizmo to disable that bullshit "feature." Also added it to my wife's car.
 
Racer88 said:
Then there was the IDIOTIC idea to add "Auto Stop-Start" to cars in the USA to "reduce emissions." 🤮

The BEST $100 I spent on my new Outback was a gizmo to disable that bullshit "feature." Also added it to my wife's car.
Click to expand...
In Germany, possession of that device will get you sent to the Russian Front! 😯
 
no4mk1t said:
A good reason to locate the antenna lead and cut it. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
If it concerns you, yes.

Personally I dont worry about it. If things got so bad that I was being pursued by Big Brother or whoever, I would not be driving my own car.
 
Racer88 said:
Then there was the IDIOTIC idea to add "Auto Stop-Start" to cars in the USA to "reduce emissions." 🤮

The BEST $100 I spent on my new Outback was a gizmo to disable that bullshit "feature." Also added it to my wife's car.
Click to expand...
Useless feature. I just turn it off.
 
Bongo Lewi said:
Useless feature. I just turn it off.
Click to expand...
Except it turns back on every time you start the car. Turning it off every time I get in the car was a giant pain in the ass. Usually would forget until the first intersection. Then...

homer simpson doh GIF


The gizmo allows you to turn it off, and it STAYS off... until you want it back on (who knows why you would?).
 
Racer88 said:
Except it turns back on every time you start the car. Turning it off every time I get in the car was a giant pain in the ass. Usually would forget until the first intersection. Then...

homer simpson doh GIF


The gizmo allows you to turn it off, and it STAYS off... until you want it back on (who knows why you would?).
Click to expand...
Doe that plug into to OBD port or someplace else?
 
Bongo Lewi said:
Doe that plug into to OBD port or someplace else?
Click to expand...

Some place else. It splices into a wire harness that's inside the overhead console (around the rearview mirror).

1768589108330.png




View: https://youtu.be/JsNoqyJ4bco?si=rTyJlQsrJkGr4vfW&t=66

Autostop Eliminator - Disable The Auto Start Stop Feature

The Autostop Eliminator is an intelligent tech device for your car, truck or SUV that will safely disable auto start-stop feature and remember your preference
www.autostopeliminator.com www.autostopeliminator.com
 
Bongo Lewi said:
I know that makes some car lovers want to cry, but time never goes backwards.
Click to expand...
Au contraire. "What's old, is new.'" Things are cyclical. And the EV's fabled "Green" importance has been shot through of holes 5 ways to Sunday as has the whole Global Warming/Climate Change Scam. And we have petroleum up the wazoo...and we're finding more and more, while the earth keeps it's own production in-swing.

People vote with their wallets. Case in point are so many products- but lets just stick to vehicles, that the public didn't "get"(and SHOULD HAVE but didn't buy them), didn't see/perceive so to speak, and they indeed didn't buy them. No 'Chachinnng'. And I'm not talking about quirky or cheap crap.

And... they quit making them, quickly. So the industry dropped them and made something else they could see that their balance sheets would fill up. They have been trying to shove that EV suppository up, ahem, the masses asses, and it's not a success.
 
So in this day and age of insanely (and I don't mean to use a word that so OVERUSED, but insanely..) clean-burning.....what we have today are engines that are so clean that, as Porsche once was marketing their 911 engine "what comes out of the exhaust is cleaner than the urban air it ingests" (and it was not idle claim); the fact is that these green pukes want to you ruin your engine prematurely by not letting the engine come up to operating temperature before you drive off.....causing premature engine wear. Idiot dolts. I'll do what I see fit. Unless they want to buy our next car for us....which will mean that it's our tax dollars they us to do so.....what a swirling toilet.
 
One Ping Only said:
Au contraire. "What's old, is new.'" Things are cyclical. And the EV's fabled "Green" importance has been shot through of holes 5 ways to Sunday as has the whole Global Warming/Climate Change Scam. And we have petroleum up the wazoo...and we're finding more and more, while the earth keeps it's own production in-swing.

People vote with their wallets. Case in point are so many products- but lets just stick to vehicles, that the public didn't "get"(and SHOULD HAVE but didn't buy them), didn't see/perceive so to speak, and they indeed didn't buy them. No 'Chachinnng'. And I'm not talking about quirky or cheap crap.

And... they quit making them, quickly. So the industry dropped them and made something else they could see that their balance sheets would fill up. They have been trying to shove that EV suppository up, ahem, the masses asses, and it's not a success.
Click to expand...
The US market has a different dynamic. Europe and Asia are going EV. Americans who think this isnt going to happen here have it wrong. It will just take longer.

US car makers have a habit of whiffing on trends. First the Beetle. Then the Japanese ate their lunch in the 70s. Then the Germans took the luxury market - and still own it.

They are repeating their same stupidity again. Big lumbering bureaucracies, handcuffed by strong unions. They don't know how to make an EV. The CEO of Ford pretty much admitted it.

Everybody in the US who wants an EV already has one. The question is... will more people want them. There's an awful lot of Teslas on the road. Musk + Company have sold 8 million cars since inception of the company. 575,000 cars in 2024. Sales tanked in 2025 to 110,000. That still a lot of cars and a lot of money the Big Three didnt get.

I've said it a hundred times. It's going to start with a second car for around town. Something like the soccer Mom mini van craze of the 80s. It just has to be priced in the ballpark people are comfortable with for a second family car. All it's going to take is cheaper batteries.

Once that happens, the battle for hearts and minds begins. By then the rage and charging issues willl have faded away. It's already not an issue for most drivers.

Watch it happen. I won't gloat. Much.
 
Racer88 said:
Some place else. It splices into a wire harness that's inside the overhead console (around the rearview mirror).
Click to expand...
Where is the "normal" switch to turn start/stop off? Did it set any computer codes that you know of?
 
I don't care what Europe and Asia are doing. Not a flying flip. Europe has the broke and broken EU & Socialism, and Asia has communism. pfft. next please.
 
One Ping Only said:
I don't care what Europe and Asia are doing. Not a flying flip. Europe has the broke and broken EU & Socialism, and Asia has communism. pfft. next please.
Click to expand...

Hear, hear! I bristle whenever I hear an American say, "Well over in Europe, they do this or that."

I. Don't. Give. A. Fuck.

In fact, I believe it is quintessentially American to do the OPPOSITE of what Eurotrash is doing. Another fact... America was FOUNDED on the basis of doing the opposite of the tyrannies that rule Europe. So, there ya go. Why should we even consider emulating that which our founding documents REJECT??

Europe is a fucking MESS right now. They've allowed 3rd world savages to take over and ruin their countries. London is NOT British anymore. That's just one of many examples.

So, again... we should follow Europe's lead on anything.... WHY????

In Europe, they're not allowed to have guns in most of the countries. Also, they're being arrested for mean Tweets and FB posts. Yeah.... let's be like Europe!

We are not like Europeans in ANY way. Americans are.... Americans!
 
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That's a nice dream. Europeans are a different species and Americans are vastly different. We are talking about cars here, not cuisine.

Possibly the most ridiculous argument yet on this topic. There is absolutely no difference in automotive technology in Europe and the US. Ford and Stellantis are huge in Europe. There's a lot of cross-pollination when it comes to automotive technology.

The difference relevant to EVs is the EU governments built the infrastructure to support EVs. The US gave Secretary Bootyjuice a billion dollars to build a charging network and the money disappeared. Nothing got built. There are still nowhere near enough charging stations in the US.

Hmm... maybe you guys are right. Americans are different. Their government pisses away money like crazy and nobody is accountable.

Americans have a healthy appetite for European cars and it's been that way a long time. Also, for many years quite a few American cars were designed in Europe. There is one standout difference. Europeans generally don't like automatic transmissions. Yet they are buying EVs that have no transmission by the boatload. Go figure.
 
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