Buried in it is one phrase we just have to talk about: “Freedom Car.” The Freedom Car concept is broadly a good one, but the way it’s being pitched is short-sighted at best and backwards at worst. Duffy’s 2026 Freedom Car is a Republican-branded program built around blocking a technology mandate—stopping government from requiring connected/automated tech, also framed as consumer freedom. The Hole In The 2026 ‘Freedom Car’ LogicDuffy wrote about preventing the government from mandating autonomous or connected cars. The way the “Freedom Car” idea is framed in Duffy’s letter puts all the power in the hands of companies.