They often have eSIMs I think, but (depending probably on the car) pulling the modem's fuse can be safe. That's the case for the VW ID.4 at least.

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Nextgrid 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

If the modem has no fuse, physically damaging the NIC chip in the module will also work.

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wizzwizz4 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I want the car to be able to contact emergency services, but not to otherwise be able to use the cellular network. Is there a good way to sabotage the eSIM, without otherwise breaking the modem? (This would still allow the car to be tracked via IMEI, but I'm not too worried about that: anyone capable of that is also capable of tracking my actual phone, and anyone buying that data will already know what car I own.)

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eldaisfish 5 hours ago | parent [-]

why do you want your car to contact emergency services? the people around you can do that just fine and very reliably.

How on earth did we survive as a species before our cars could make automated phone calls?

	▲	mattlondon 3 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		There's often been a few cases of "disappeared" people who went missing and it turns out they actually crashed off the road somewhere and weren't found for a week or two. That's extreme of course but there are probably a lot of accidents that happen in low-density rural country areas or late at night when there aren't many people around. The automatic e-call from the car gives exact GPS coordinates and severity of the accident, even if you are unconscious or if your phone that was neatly in the cup holder before the crash was flung somewhere else (potentially even flew out of the car etc) and you're trying to find it while someone might be dying in the seat next to you etc. People didn't survive before all this. It's a mandatory feature now because it's so effective at saving lives. 2 to 10% reduction in fatalities and serious injuries apparently. Would you also question why we have mandatory airbags and traction control?!
	▲	charcircuit 5 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		The parent comment is interested in the survival of themselves and passengers. The survival of the human race is a low bar to pass.
	▲	dzhiurgis an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I don’t give rats shit about species when it’s my safety involved. What even is this type of virtue signalling??