but we mustn't agree to such practices, because if this goes legal next step will be prevent from software hacking and/or police/MOT checks for illegal software tampering
This is already the case in California. Tapering with the ECU (in a detectable way), will cause your car to flunk the smog exam, which, unrectified, makes it illegal to drive your car.
Another thing that only affects poor people. In California your first smog check is at 6 years. Most wealthy people turn over their cars more often than that. So a rich person can hack it up and not worry because they'll ditch the car before its ever checked.
As of now, no. But I wouldn't be surprised because the smog exam doubles as a road safety check, and as more EVs are on the road that are getting old, they're gonna want a way to verify road safety. Probably a state battery exam or something.
Is the smog exam really a road safety check other than if it's so obviously unsafe that they won't drive it to the smog machine? Especially since post-2000 cars are just an ODB-II check, a visual check for exhaust modifications, and a check for smoke at various engine conditions. The procedural manual does mention visual inspection for gasoline fuel leaks (diesel and gaseous fuel leaks are fine, apparently). I'd imagine techs were a little more worried about vehicle safety when they were putting the cars on dynos, too.
OK, interesting. In NY we have a mandatory yearly safety check for all vehicles but also an emissions check for specific classes of vehicles (ie: gasoline cars/trucks >=2 years old, but diesel passenger cars and EVs are exempt). Mostly the emissions test consists of connecting the state software/hardware to the OBDII port and having the car tell if it should pass or not.
