Car Thing is our first hardware product that allows users to control Spotify through car speakers when connected to a phone by using both voice recognition and preset buttons.

We have made the decision to discontinue Car Thing. This means that Car Thing will no longer be operational. This decision wasn't made lightly, and we want to assure you that our commitment to providing a superior listening experience remains unchanged.

We acknowledge and deeply appreciate the support and enthusiasm you have shown for Car Thing. It has been an incredible journey, and we are grateful for all the miles we've shared.

This move isn't really a surprise, the Car Thing hasn't been widely sold for some time, but it is disappointing, you'd think they'd opensource the player or give users a way to continue to use it in some other way such as when Google closed down Stadia but released the controllers so they could still get used, instead Spotify is telling users to reset and recycle it:

We recommend resetting your Car Thing to factory settings and safely disposing of your device following local electronic waste guidelines. Contact your state or local waste disposal department to determine how to dispose of or recycle Car Thing in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

The main users for this device were users with older cars who used Car Thing as their smart devices, and while portable car play devices work great, I do get that Car Thing's smaller profile was nice as well.