Driving into the Absurd: Imagining a Smartphone-esque Auto Industry

GΛËL DUVΛL
3 min readFeb 15, 2024

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Imagine stepping into a world where the automotive industry has taken a wild turn, mirroring the smartphone market’s quirks and monopolies. Welcome to the whimsical yet thought-provoking universe of CarGoo, where cars and tech collide in the most unexpected ways. Let’s buckle up and navigate through this alternate reality, where the road less traveled is about to get a lot more exclusive.

1. The Era of Proprietary Parts: A CarGoo Monopoly 🚗💼

In the realm of CarGoo, every vehicle is a puzzle, and only CarGoo-branded pieces fit. Forget universal spare parts; this is a world where even windshield wipers come with compatibility issues. It’s like playing a high-stakes game of Tetris every time you need a repair, but every piece is shaped like the CarGoo logo.

2. Exclusive Highways: The CarGoo Express 🛣️💰

Imagine highways where the toll booths are more selective than a nightclub bouncer. CarGoo roads are the VIP lanes of transportation, accessible only to those who pledge allegiance to the brand. It’s peak rush hour, and your CarGoo GPS casually suggests a toll route that costs more than your morning coffee, all because you dared to travel during a ‘peak demand’ minute.

3. The One-Stop CarGoo Shop 🛒🚫

Welcome to the CarGoo Store, the only shopping destination for your automotive needs, where the idea of ‘choice’ is as foreign as a manual transmission in a self-driving car. Looking for a third-party accessory? You might as well be searching for a needle in a haystack — a haystack made entirely of CarGoo-branded needles.

4. Preloaded and Locked In 📱🔒

Every CarGoo vehicle comes pre-equipped with an array of apps and services, firmly embedding you in the CarGoo ecosystem. Want to try a new navigation app? That’s adorable. CarGoo decides where you’re going and how you’re entertained on the way. It’s like having a backseat driver, but it’s your car’s operating system.

5. Fort Knox on Wheels 🔐🚨

CarGoo’s security measures ensure that only CarGoo-approved parts and software can interact with your vehicle. Attempting to customize your car is akin to hacking into a top-secret government facility, except the only secrets being guarded are your music preferences and preferred route to work.

The Consequences: A World of Limited Choices 🚫🚗

In this CarGoo-centric universe, the road to innovation is a one-way street, leading to a dead end of limited choices and sky-high prices. The monopoly not only stifles creativity but also parks consumers in a lot where every vehicle is a carbon copy of the next, priced as if it were a luxury model.

The Silver Lining: A Call for Competition 🏁🌈

This humorous jaunt through a CarGoo-dominated world sheds light on the importance of competition. It’s the engine that drives innovation, keeps prices at bay, and gives consumers the freedom to choose their journey. Without it, we’re all just passengers in a world where choice is an illusion, and the open road is anything but open.

Call to Action: Rev Up the Conversation 🗣️🚗

Let’s not wait for a parallel universe to appreciate the value of competition and choice in our automotive world. Share your thoughts, experiences, and maybe even your own CarGoo-like encounters in the comments below. Together, we can steer the conversation towards a future where innovation and freedom ride shotgun, leading us down a road filled with endless possibilities.

Ready to shift gears and drive the discussion forward? Your comments and shares are the fuel that keeps the conversation going. Let’s rev up the engine and embark on this journey together!

Gaël Duval — February 15th 2024.

More about /e/OS: https://e.foundation — More about Murena products & services: https://murena.com

Follow me on @gael_duval on Twitter, @gael@mastodon.social on Mastodon.

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GΛËL DUVΛL
GΛËL DUVΛL

Written by GΛËL DUVΛL

Software engineer, Entrepreneur: Mandrake-Linux 1998, Ulteo 2006, /e/OS & Murena 2017, Open Source advocate. https://gaelduval.com/about-gael-duval/