Why Are Car Software Updates Still So Bad?

In spite of the few years Attempts and spending billions of dollars, no automaker in the world still matched TeslaEfficiency in providing over-the-air (OTA) software updates. Just like your phone and laptop, this operating system refreshs allows owners to upgrade their cars from far away.

Tesla introduces OTAs In 2002, however, the Elon Mask’s company pumps these updates like any other automaker. “Tesla once issued 42 updates within six months,” Capgemini’s CTO for automotive told Jean-Merry Lapare Ward. But for many other automackers, Lapare says the OTAS ship “is probably once a year.”

For the traditional cars, the software remains, or is very recently, only a bolt-on material among many. On the contrary, for Tesla and other digital-local automackers-among them, Rivian, Lucid, Polester and Chinese brands like BYD, Expans and Shaomi-almost the entire Shebang.

Interestingly, GM was actually the first automaker to introduce OTA effectiveness, Tesla is two years aheadHowever it was limited Onstart Telemetics system. OTAs of Traditional Automakers often add only infotaining tweets, while on the other hand OTA can be from digital-first brands to become size-shifters, increase range and increase speed. They often give features from Purel to true performances: Noise on demand From Tesla, Plusha’s suspension For the owners of the Rivian, and Unlocking the car on the phone From polster.

Cars contain microprocessors From the 1970sHowever, in comparison, the Traditional Automaker has made their cars with software designed to stay most unchanged throughout the 20 -year life period of a vehicle. Since 2021, the complexity of the latest vehicle software platforms has increased by about 40 percent every year, assumes McKinsThe There are 69 million OTA-enabled vehicles in the United States now S&P GlobalThe

As Software-defined vehicleOr SDVS, will increase the sale of cars, The automackers hopedThe According to two scorecards measuring SDV progress, the Tesla Pack is leading. Gartner Digital Automaker Index for 2025 Chinese EV makers place NIO and Shaomi in second and third positions respectively. Words Agreed to defeat these three. Like Nissan, Toyota, Majda and Jaguar Land Rover on the other end of the scale and the ward analysis Bottom walloThe

To save and sell

Okay, OTAs not only refresh the experience of a vehicle, they can also reduce the cost of reconsideration for automackers. More 13 million vehicles Due to software -related issues, it was re -remembered in 2024, which increased by 35 percent compared to the previous year. Before the oatus, The average expense of an auto rickle Was about $ 500 per car. OTAs can be supplied wirelessly, but they are not expense-free Environment Or for automackersHarman is automotiveOTA software supplier, assumes that it costs a car maker to provide 1GB update $ 66.50.

However, it usually sends digital natives huge update files, as they are usually able to update the firmware over-the-air (FOTA). They can update the PowerTrain, the battery management and the braking system. For FOTA capacity good, endless connection and cars with significant computing strengths – usually EVS – needed, most of them kept dormant for future updates. For example, the gravity of Lucid is equipped with the latest of the electronic SUV Nvidia Orin-X processor512 GB onboard storage, yet the vehicle OS Fits only 100GBLater, leaving the ODles room for the OTA refresh.

As the Western car company’s income decreases, the automackers are seeking money from the OTA-enabled subscriptions. $ 2,000 days to Tesla and, including Al choshic acceleration boostThe over-the air can be unlocked to become a quick tire squal from your EV mark. $ 10 per month, Tesler “Premium Connection” package Add streaming data, live centry cams and other goodies. Does critics demand that the feature that is confusingly self -draiving (FSD) supervised is named? This is for additional $ 99 in your month.