Can the US still make old fashioned basic cars without computer chips?

Yes but very unlikely. Some things that are now handled by integrated circuits were quite complex back in the day and would have to be reproduced from scratch now. Think timing advance, fuel-air mixtures, carburetor vs fuel injection, anti-lock brakes, security and on and on. We’ll see the chip shortage end before this happens. We don’t want to go back to pre microprocessor days. Part of the reason cars are so safe and last 200K miles + now is because of microprocessor technology.

No. because of pollution control devices and the engine management complexity, all of the pollution devices (and a lot of ther stuff) require computer chips.

A big part of the reason cars are so expensive (pre-pandemic) is simply that enough people are buying them at these inflated prices. Manufacturers do not make much or as much money on economy class cars. It’s better for their bottom line to only manufacture mid-level to luxury class cars. If people stop buying the expensive models then we would not have this problem.

Where I live we have gas golf carts driving around that I think use old fashioned mechanisms. Although, my husband said some of the newer ones were starting to have chips. Are the carts polluting the air like old cars?

About ten or fifteen years ago I saw show that China demands less expensive cars and so the manufacturers (even American manufacturers) make less expensive cars for them, and the exteriors are cheaper to replace if they get damaged.

@JLeslie Golf carts are the most basic. There is still at least a couple CPUs in a golf cart though. To bring a golf cart up to modern safety standards and compliant with laws that would allow them to drive on the highway pretty much crosses them off the list.

I do think a very basic electric economy car for local commutes could be made to be safe, reliable and cheap. Like >$10k. I think a comparable gas model could be made for >$5k Most people won’t like it though. I think it’s desperately needed though. I would own one. You can actually buy a crated vehicle from China like this. You just can’t drive them on public roads here in the US.

It’s not going to happen. It also is not practical to move backwards in technology.

Nope. Not unless you roll back the emission and fuel economy standards.

On the other hand car manufacturers can drop features like start/stop, touch screens, heated seats, GPS, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Cars use many different processors and software modules to run and offer features. If you want to minimize chip usage, minimize complexity.
Throw out the touch screens and reduce car prices .
Only use processors for functions absolutely necessary for the base operation of the car, i.e. Engine Management System, ABS and On Board Diagnostics. Put the interactive functions on hold.

Bicycles pedaled; not a chip in sight.

Gasp!!! No heated seats?! No.

Why not search the used market for a neat used one, and totally overhaul it?

@LuckyGuy – you can pry my heated seat from my cold puckered arse. I’d sooner give up the airbags.

@LuckyGuy I wonder if people can get basic cars like you describe. About 20 years ago there was a small pick-up truck advertised for $149 a month 3 year lease. We went to go lease it and they tried to trade us up but we stuck to our guns. It was a pink-red color, manual clutch, roll down windows. It was a great deal! Lol.

I’d love to have a very basic little car here where I live to zip around in. Especially, if it was a convertible, although I guess an automatic top adds another computer component? I’m not a fan of a manual top, but I could do it if it’s my only choice. I don’t need automatic windows or gps and I’d prefer a clutch in that situation.

Edit: sounds sort of like my old Miata.

Relax… You all can still have heated seats. Just use a switch and relay or some other high current component to turn it on. There is no reason it has to be computer controlled. If your butt gets too hot, just turn it off.
Simple.

The old fashioned heaters were easier. A fan dial and a temperature setting dial and a button for air conditioning and whether you wanted to recycle the air or not. You could just turn up the heat and didn’t even have to have the thing on. I think it just blew hot air in from the engine heat.

Unfortunately the chips that auto makers are having a hard time getting are the specialized ones that run the main functions of the car. There are endless substitutes for the auxiliary functions.

A few months ago my car was having body work done and the insurance company gave me a rental. It was a brand new Jeep Cherokee. Heated leather seats, Heated wheel, the whole 9. I Googled the price, just out of curiosity and the high end Cherokee is 80k. 80k for not a luxury car. That’s a lot of money.

Golf cart only needs a battery, rheostat for throttle, and a motor. No chips. But no heated seats either.

@jca2 Grand Wagoneer top of the line Jeep is $110,000 to $125,000 taxes, license and registration.

I looked at the cost of street legal golf carts. Good gawd. Just buy a new corolla for a few thousand more.

@Blackwater_Park They can be pricey! It’s true that sometimes people here are debating whether to buy a golf cart or a car. Some couples have one of each or one car and two carts. Many combinations.

Where I live most people don’t use them on the street except for in neighborhoods and in the town squares here. They are not registered, they don’t have license plates, not allowed to drive over 20 mph, and you don’t have to be licensed to drive. But, we have a hundred miles of multimodal paths so people can go everywhere in their golf cart. 60,000 golf carts here.

Here’s a video I googled, there are many videos of people driving their golf carts. This one starts by going over a bridge and then through a town square and on multimodal paths and through tunnels. You can just fast forward through and see a few minutes here and there if you even want to bother. https://youtu.be/LQJ4V0TDcgI

People can get a cart registered and licensed for the road, but then it must be registered and have insurance and have plates, etc. Just like a car. Only legal on roads that are 35 mph or less.

@JLeslie Sounds like the retirement community my grandmother was in in Arizona. There were some fancy carts there for sure. I’m a little shocked at the cost though.

@Blackwater_Park You can buy them used obviously and save some money. They last for years they are so basic. Until recently that is! Now, they are starting to have chips and things. That’s partly why my husband wanted to sell our golf cart repair business.

We have friends who have a house in the Poconos, in a development, and a lot of the residents there ride golf carts around the community. They’re more fun for local travel because they’re open air and hop on-hop off. The teenagers can drive them with parental supervision too.

My ex-boss is semi-retired in The Villages, Florida. He took me on a ride in his electric golf cart last summer. Very fun indeed!

I mean, yes and no. Can we do it INSTANTLY? No. Factories are specifically engineered to make specific products specific ways. You would need to alter factories and entire supply chains to return to that older technology.

But , with some prep time, yes, of course we COULD. It’s just not a good idea.