Bankrupt Fisker says it can't migrate its EVs to a new owner's server

Meaning of “can’t migrate”

• Many doubt there is a true technical impossibility; “as a technical matter” is read as doing a lot of rhetorical work.
• Suspected reasons include: lost signing keys or HSM contents, certificate pinning tied to Fisker servers, IP/PKI that covers the whole fleet (not just unsold cars), or third‑party licenses that can’t be reassigned.
• Others suggest “can’t” may mean “we don’t have money/people/time” or “everyone who understood the infrastructure is gone,” not pure technology limits.
• Some note that even well‑funded systems can become effectively unmanageable if undocumented, brittle, and complex.

Could experts or hackers fix it?

• Several argue that with firmware dumping, traffic sniffing, or exploiting Android Automotive, a determined team could redirect cars to new servers or even replace infotainment hardware.
• Counterpoints: without private signing keys or build pipelines, updating secure boot chains may be extremely hard or require invasive hardware work.
• Real‑world anecdotes show that reviving abandoned systems can take weeks or months, not “a week of reading source.”

Connected cars, ownership, and law

• Thread uses Fisker as a cautionary tale against cars that depend on cloud services to remain usable.
• Many prefer “dumb” EVs and ICE cars with minimal or optional connectivity; examples of such vehicles are shared.
• Discussion of a California law (AB 2426) that may treat remotely-disablable digital features as non‑sale/lease only; some think this will force honesty and better design, others expect companies to relabel everything as leases.
• Idea: design systems so they can be cleanly handed off to new operators, or use phone‑based interfaces (CarPlay/Android Auto) instead of deeply connected stacks.

Security updates and longevity

• Concern that modern cars need long‑term security updates but automakers don’t want to fund decades of support.
• Debate whether critical subsystems should ever be OTA‑updateable or networked; some favor strictly offline core systems and dealer‑only physical updates.

Consulting, OSS, and broader lessons

• Several note there’s a growing niche for high‑rate specialists who revive “impossible” legacy systems.
• Mixed feelings on fully open‑source vehicle stacks: openness and standards are attractive, but people also want clear liability and accountability for safety‑critical code.
• Overall theme: technical incompetence, rushed design, and perverse incentives make “you don’t really own it” failures increasingly likely.