> no displays

In the US, no. Backup cameras are required by federal law as of 2018. The intent of the law was to reduce the number of children killed by being backed over because the driver couldn't see them behind the car.

I feel like "game engine" is a misnomer for what we're actually dealing with here. It's more like an "ECS-based scene rendering engine, which can be used for games or for advanced UI". But that doesn't have a succinct label yet.

JPY2690k($17,594) 2025 Honda `N-ONE e:`[0], 12km(7.45 mi), unregistered, 4 passengers, 29.6kWh battery, WLTP 295km(183 mi) of range, pack liquid cooling, has one-pedal, airbags, basic LKAS, rear seat ISOFIX, etc etc[2]

It's like, at least one exists in Japan, on used market even, if you absolutely have to have one, I guess

0: https://www.honda.co.jp/N-ONE-e/webcatalog/design/images/e_g...

1: https://driver-web.jp/articles/gallery/41396/36291

2: https://www.carsensor.net/usedcar/detail/AU6687733258/index.... | https://archive.is/gbBzc

Ah sorry, I quickly edited that out of my comment! I had the video playing while posting, they were talking about a precursor project for embedded Flutter which this in some ways builds on, /that/ is running on the new RAV4.

One of the example uses given in the talk is 3D tutorials, which I could imagine being handy. Not sure I'd want to click on the car parts for it but with the correct affordances I could imagine a potentially useful interface.

We're all just waiting for the Slate for exactly that reason.

Slate auto is doing exactly that. They have pre-orders too. I'm waiting until I can test drive but it looks really interesting.

Part of what has made modern EVs successful in the wider market is the connected navigation system that knows your battery level, current consumption, planned navigation route, and what charging stations are available along the way.

To have a decent travel experience in an EV you'd likely at least need this data ported out to your phone via an OBD adapter or CarPlay / Android Auto integration with an in-car infotainment display.

"Nice car. What kind of engine does it have?"

"V8"

"Which kind of V8?"

But once they replace gas engine with electric motor, car has NO engine. Gotta slip in a game engine.

The last car that I remember being just an engine and seats was the Dodge Viper. I think some K class Japanese domestic vehicles are also likewise basic.

I loved the Viper, but its spartan interior and features list were its detriment.

> Funny how “game engines” are now car parts in 2026.

Seems almost inevitable. Game engines end up supporting user interface elements and text with translations, but with an emphasis on simplicity, performance, and robustness. Many currently trending user interface stacks readily generate bursts of complexity, have poor performance even with simple usage, and are buggy and crash prone.

It’s a very small market, but yes you can. In Europe, the Citroen Ami is about that. Or the base Dacia Spring.

More expensive cars will have more electronic. They kinda want to sell them.

The dream. Although a map display would be nice to keep us from needing to fiddle with our phones. And backup camera

You’re describing the Slate truck. Really hope they deliver what they’ve promised.

do you know about the slate truck? give it a search. it doesn't even come with speakers. or electric windows. or paint. it does have a backup camera afaik.

Cars should be a USB-C peripheral to a tablet that docks on the dash.

That car is the Slate truck.

No because more basic cars have much lower profit margins while requiring higher volume and investors/capitalists will not accept that. Why earn 5% on their investment selling a million cars and building brand name when they can instead earn 20% on selling 100,000 cars at the expense of a brand name they never cared about maintaining in the first place? Brand tarnishment is something other smucks will have to deal with down the road, not the guys making these decisions right now who get performance "bonuses" and not the shareholders that want large returns.

dawg idk how you have a car that's "electric" and also "basic." everything in an electric car is _necessarily_ mediated by software. if you want a simple car, you want combustion.

> Can I just have an electric car that’s a car and nothing else? Seats, wheels pedals, mirrors, real buttons, no displays just a aux jack. I’d buy it, hell I might even take the risk and pre-order it

You can buy a tubular frame chassis for Beetle-based kit cars from a factory in the south of England, that's been adapted to take modern coilover suspension and an MGF or MGTF engine and gearbox, because Beetles are so rare that anyone wants to put the engine back into a Beetle.

I reckon with a minor amount of fettling you could squeeze a Nissan Leaf transaxle and a sufficient amount of batteries in, and still drop your Manx beach buggy shell over the top. Or any other shell you like.

You'd be running around in a solar-powered beach buggy. THAT is the future.

I believe Tesla use/d Godot in their automative entertainment-instrumentation system.

Real buttons are more expensive than electronic. Not sure if you care, but people make that mistake more generally.

Game engines are probably trivially cheap to produce in 2026. You forget that Toyota sells 10M cars per year. In 3 years thats 30M cars. What does it cost each buyer for the game engine? 30 cents?

I can build you this for $140k, I think. Interested?

The "interactive user manual" sounds neat. It probably doesn't need to be part of the car's computer.