Have you ever thought that one day your beloved car could suddenly turn into a “brick”? This is not an exaggeration! Recently, a large number of Nezha car owners received a shocking text message: [Hezhong Automobile] notified that due to the unilateral cessation of services by its partner, Lenovo, Nezha cars will gradually lose internet connectivity, requiring car owners topurchase data for their vehicle systems themselves!
What does this mean? Your navigation, online music, remote control, and other functions could be paralyzed at any time! Even more frustrating is that the solution is for car owners to pay for data themselves? This operation is simply astonishing. In the era of smart cars, will our vehicles suddenly become “dumb”?
01 Event Review: A Text Message Sparks a Storm
On September 11, countless Nezha car owners received a “thunderbolt” text message simultaneously. The content was roughly: due to Guangdong Lenovo’s unilateral refusal to fulfill the agreement, it will gradually stop providing internet data services for Nezha cars.
The message also “kindly” reminded car owners: if the vehicle can no longer connect to the internet, they can go to Lenovo’s WeChat public account toself-purchase data, and it particularly emphasized to “carry the Nezha car smart key to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
Once this message was sent, it immediately caused an uproar on various platforms. Many car owners expressed their confusion: wasn’t it stated when purchasing the car that data services were included? Why suddenly must they buy data themselves? Does this count as a unilateral breach of contract?
02 Scope of Impact: Which Car Owners Will Be Affected?
According to official data from Nezha Automobile, as of August 2023, the cumulative delivery volume of Nezha cars has exceeded300,000 units. Although it is currently unclear how many car owners will be affected, considering this is a mass text message, the number of affected car owners is likely to be significant.
The internet of vehicles plays an increasingly important role in modern smart cars. This includes but is not limited to:
– Real-time navigation and traffic information
– Online music and entertainment systems
– Remote vehicle control and status inquiries
– OTA online upgrade capabilities
– Emergency call and rescue services
If these functions fail, the user experience of the vehicle will be greatly diminished. One car owner joked: “Now my smart car is going to become a ‘dumb car’!”
03 Deep Reflection: The Sustainability of Smart Car Services
This incident exposes a serious issue: how can the sustainability of smart car services be guaranteed?
With the popularity of smart connected vehicles, cars are no longer just simple transportation tools, but intelligent terminals that require continuous services. However, the problem is that these services often rely on third-party suppliers. Once there is a problem with the partnership, car owners become the biggest victims.
According to data from the China Automobile Circulation Association, in 2022, the sales of smart connected vehicles in China reached5 million units, and it is expected to exceed10 million units by 2025
. With such a large market scale, there is no comprehensive service guarantee mechanism, which is concerning.
Even more worrying is that if disputes arise between car manufacturers and partners, how will the rights of car owners be protected? Should car owners always bear the costs themselves?
04 Solutions: How Should Car Owners Respond?
In light of this situation, Nezha car owners can take the following measures:
1. Immediately test the internet of vehicles functions: Check if navigation, online music, and other functions are working properly
2. Contact official customer service: Call Nezha Automobile customer service hotline 400-608-8888 to understand the specific situation
3. Retain relevant evidence: Keep the received text messages and evidence of vehicle abnormalities
4. Postpone purchasing data: It is not recommended to purchase data on your own until there is a clear statement from the official source
According to the Consumer Rights Protection Law, if the goods or services provided by the operator do not meet quality requirements, consumers can return them according to national regulations or the agreement of the parties, or request the operator to fulfill obligations such as replacement or repair. The unilateral cessation of services by the car manufacturer may constitute a breach of contract.
This “internet disruption” incident has sounded the alarm for all smart car owners: when we spend a lot of money to purchase smart cars, we are buying not only hardware but also continuous services. If services cannot be guaranteed, even the smartest car is just a pile of metal.
More importantly, this incident exposes the problems within the entire industry: the service system for smart cars is still not perfect, and there are loopholes in the rights protection mechanisms for car owners.
So the question arises: as a smart car owner, have you ever worried about similar issues? What responsibilities do you think car manufacturers should bear for such service interruptions? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!