"Some 1,300 workers employed at the plant will be temporarily laid off, Opel said, with a separate plant in France picking up some of the production."
Perhaps a very convenient chip shortage? Anyhow, why not build a car without electronics, gps, g4, microphones, voice control, tracking and screens. Because that is exactly what I want.
Because even that car would have chips in it, unless if you’re selling it illegally. You cannot make a gasoline engine that meets emissions regulations without sophisticated engine control unit (ECU) systems in it. That and there are a bunch of safety features that require it, like ABS and automatic braking. In the United States it is also illegal to sell a new car without a backup camera, which obviously requires a screen of some sorts near the driver.
Beyond that, the reality is that these features you decry are very, very popular. Nobody will make a car exactly the way you want, because that’s not where consumers are.
Very few people would want this, certainly not enough to warrant a production line. The cars you want already exist, just buy a classic car from the 60's. None of the stuff you dislike and if done right a nice looking car. Gas is a bit more though.
There are already bills in the pipeline to require all cars to have GPS in the EU (speed limiters) and more privacy violating stuff. Governments want to know of every aspect of your life, so any privacy conscious device will not be viable.
Perhaps a very convenient chip shortage? Anyhow, why not build a car without electronics, gps, g4, microphones, voice control, tracking and screens. Because that is exactly what I want.