Redd

Actually I'm surprised that Audi, home of high tech electronic answers, hasn't put into production what I've seen in any number of concept and show cars. Two small rearview cameras, which cut wind resistance and drag to a tiny fraction of Dumbo, feeding to small screens that are set inside, on the dash or rearview, where the driver can also see them better.

That technology works very nicely. And has to be cheaper than the heated, dimmed, rotating, blinking...sources of wind resistance and lower fuel mileage.

koobah

Not only the side mirrors are required by federal law, electronics are usually a lot more expensive to develop, especially if it's something essential to your safety.

spijun

Perhaps the thought on some cheap Chinese camera for 20-30$

Redd

Didn't realize the US DOT required side "mirrors" as such. last time I looked, the state and federal requirements only required *one* side mirror of course that was law written when a tv camera was a huge box in the studio that needed an hour to warm up before use.

But as to electronic being more expensive, there's no development to be done, the system exist and they're available at commodity prices. Like cell phones, it cost a bundle to "develop" the first one but these days? Dirt cheap to build. Way cheaper than stamping, molding, polishing optical glass, four-way mirror control motors, and all the mechanical stuff. WAY cheaper.

If the laws are behind the times...that's still a stopper. Same way better headlights were illegal for so many years.

JaXeN

The upcoming Audi R8 e-tron will supposedly have an electronic center rearview mirror. I wonder if that will actually fly with the DOT when it goes on sale in the US.

Parsec

I don't see why not. I believe only the driver's side mirror is required by law. If you think about it, box trucks don't have a rearview mirror (such as a U-Haul moving truck) and passenger-side mirrors didn't always come standard on Honda Civics.

Redd

Apparently DOT has been conducting a lot of talk and asking for comments about "rear vision" systems in recent years, so who knows? I was sure I would have a rearview camera since they were mandated for 2014 and a real "Duh?!" win-win equipment requirement. Hadn't heard that they were postponed. I'm not motivated enough to ask DOT for the current status of this stuff, since I'm not buying another new car next year.