10 months ago, a company across the world put my neighbor's access to medical care at risk, giving us 2 weeks notice that software behind our 40 electric car chargers would be shut down.
This is the story of how my neighborhood broke free from this potential disaster.
https://natematias.com/portfolio/2025-08-22-unchaining-from-broken-software-tethers/
We all can see problems and a lot of authors have become good at describing the problems.
We need more folks like you that also work on and describe solutions.
#democracy is more than voting.
#freeopensource #floss #foss
Free/Libre Open Source Software and hardware
It's always great when the community saves devices from trash that are perfectly fine, I'm so glad I don't use any tethered technology, as this would just be a nightmare... having a devicre in perfectly usable condition suddenly becoming unusable, for no real reason other than some idiot deciding their not rich enough.
Well done and I hope you'll inspire all the other customers with „juiceboxes“!
As a retired software engineer addicted to understanding the technology but never able to understand the business side of my industry, this anecdote lays bare my fears and pessimism for our future.
This is also why I buy the non-"smart", non-programmable, non-WiFi version of something whenever possible.
You see, I *have* a unsmart Juicebox - it charges my Nissan Leaf.
When the company changed hands, I didn't need to know anything about it. When this software ultimatum went out, I never heard about it, as I had never used their website or services. They likely don't have my email or know I exist, and that suits me.
It's still running just fine. May it run many years more.
it sounds like you have developed a new appreciation for hardware too? Yayyyy! I looooove opening boxes.
@pluralistic in case you've not seen this before or not been bombarded already (sorry if you have), I thought you might be interested.
@dan Perhaps check to see if your state will fund OpenEVSE chargers? And if they're not on the list, send them my post and see if they will add them!
What a cool story about taking things into your own hands. Congratulations!
This was a very uplifting and inspiring read.
This is like a case study in #enshittification – and in the power of collective action to solve the problem.
Tagging @pluralistic
(Also note: The author doesn't say, but most likely the fix required violating the DCMA. Which is another reason why that particular legislation needs killing.)
I think my community would react similarly. We have a lot of knowledgeable people who are willing to work together and between us we have a wide variety of skills.
What an inspiring story! Well done!
Our "Juicebox" chargers, like many other digital products, were "smart" or "tethered products." On one hand, we got updates from the company. Software was also taken away.
As such products become the norm, similar emergencies are happening in other areas, from medical devices and appliances to cars. So we can expect more panics when companies go bankrupt or cut costs.
The shares ideas from experts on how developers and policymakers can manage product end of life better.
> On one hand, we got updates from the company. Software was also taken away.
do the chargers have features (as in, PROPER features) that require an internet connection to use?
if not, then why does it need an internet connection? because you only really need updates to patch security holes.
It would however continued to work in “dumb” mode (no scheduling, rfid access restrictions etc - just plug and charge) which I believe is a requirement over here (part of OCCP).
I'm grateful to the hundreds of hobbyists & open hardware devs who worked together to save countless chargers from the landfill.
This summer, my neighbors & I replaced the boards of our 40 chargers with OpenEVSE hardware, and we're no longer at the same level of risk, phew!
These kinds of stories almost never end well, so I'm grateful that this one did!
when I started reading this and saw "Finger Lakes" I knew this had to be in the Ithaca area.
Many thanks to the neighborhood charge team (especially Jeff), @show, OpenEVSE, @ConsumerReports, the Harvard Cyberlaw Clinic, and so many others, for creativity, collaboration, and advice.
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