As vehicles become more connected, their capabilities continue to expand. One underlying feature that helps support aspects like high-quality infotainment systems and autonomous driving development is over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
While previously, software updates required owners to visit dealerships so that they could physically flash new code into the car, OTAs allow automakers to push updates wirelessly, updating cars as they sit outside their owners’ homes. This capability to push as many updates as needed has breathed new life into automotive ownership, allowing for interesting additions, such as updating infotainment systems with new features. However, these benefits don’t come without their own set of challenges.
Benefits
OTAs bring a host of exciting additions to vehicle ownership and streamlining certain processes for automakers.
New features
Throughout the history of cars, it’s hard to describe vehicle ownership as ‘evolutionary’. You purchase a car, and that’s pretty much it unless you modify it yourself. But with OTA updates, a car can improve itself, even after being sold.
An emphasis on technology has caused modern cars to be packed with features that mirror our smartphones, bringing a familiar experience to the interior. Infotainment systems have come a long way from the unresponsive and unintuitive systems in the late 2000s and early 2010s. OTAs make it easier for automakers to iron out any bugginess even after release.
While a software update that improves the UI or maybe adds a fun game doesn’t necessarily improve how a car functions, it can offer a pleasant surprise to owners who may feel more appreciative of their car.
Of course, OTAs have more power than simply adding to the infotainment systems. There have been examples of tangible performance improvements, such as Tesla increasing the 0-60mph times of certain models by a whole second or lifting the software-locked battery limiter during natural disasters so that owners could travel further.
Streamlining
While OTAs can be fun for owners, they also reduce headaches for automakers and their dealerships. Many times, an issue or recall is simply fixed by updating the vehicle’s code. Instead of having thousands of vehicles head to their local dealer for a simple software flash, automakers can push an update remotely and fix the problem without forcing owners to disrupt their days.
Additionally, automakers who are pursuing autonomous driving aspirations also rely on the streamlining of OTAs. With self-driving systems constantly improving, it would be wholly unrealistic to have owners come to the dealership for a new version multiple times a month, and it would be hazardous to allow owners to use outdated versions of the system if they never bothered to update through a dealer.
Challenges
While OTA updates for infotainment and similar purposes have many advantages, this exciting development also challenges automakers.
Security
Anytime you add an internet connection to an object, it becomes a potential gateway for hackers to gain entry into. With OTAs capable of changing so many things about a vehicle by simply updating code, it becomes imperative that automakers take cybersecurity seriously. A poorly protected system could allow an unauthorised party to control a vehicle remotely.
Even before the hyperconnectivity that vehicles are seeing these days, we’ve had incidents like the infamous Jeep hack, where ethical hackers showed the danger of poor cybersecurity practices and took remote control of a vehicle, and that was a vehicle that didn’t have as many connection avenues as future cars will.
Automakers will need to meet regulations regarding cybersecurity in vehicles, such as ISO/SAE 21434, which gives a framework for how data should be secured. It’s important to note that different jurisdictions may have slightly different regulations, meaning automakers must ensure that their updates are tailored to the market they are being pushed to.
Compatibility
Processing power progresses at lightning speeds, and a few years can feel like decades when it comes to semiconductor design. There was no doubt a point when you had to get rid of a smartphone simply because it couldn’t handle the newest system update that required too much power. Unfortunately, automakers who want to make their infotainment systems a standout feature of their vehicles will also encounter these issues.
So far, we have only seen this most visibly with Tesla. In 2018, six years after the launch of the Model S, Tesla upgraded the MCU (media control unit), which opened up a host of opportunities to spice up the infotainment system. The more powerful processor in MCU2 allowed significant additions such as Tesla Arcade (video games) and Tesla Theater (streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube), along with an overall improvement to the smoothness of the interface. It resulted in plenty of gushing from fans as they had many significant new features. But those with MCU1? They couldn’t get those new toys; the processor was too weak. Now, Tesla has to maintain the codebase for at least two different computers in case some features can be added to those with MCU1.
Tesla offers an upgrade service for those with MCU1 to MCU2 for a few thousand dollars, allowing owners to upgrade their vehicles at least some routes. However, we don’t know if such a modular, plug-and-play system will be used in further iterations of Teslas or other cars.
So automakers will have this challenge of balancing how much they can push for new exciting infotainment features, while not fragmenting their users and potentially upsetting owners of older vehicles.
Feature Richness
With each passing year, cars are becoming more and more akin to a piece of technology, such as our smartphones or computers. With a future that looks to perfect autonomous driving, a car’s whole “driving” aspect may entirely disappear, and a car will simply become another piece of technology or, at best, an extension of our homes.
To this end, automakers must decide how many features and how much effort they want to put into their infotainment systems, especially right now. Yes, playing full-fledged video games or watching your favourite shows in your car is cool, but is it truly necessary? Will you want to be an automaker who excels at the infotainment aspects of your vehicle rather than the driving dynamics? There may be a point where a home theatre on wheels will be the preferred way we look at cars, but there is a sweet spot regarding when the perfect time to commit will be. Do it too early, and you will waste money on a novelty. Do it too late, and you’ll be playing catch-up.
OTAs play an important part in allowing a car to offer new features to its owners after purchase. With so many ways to spice up the infotainment experience, automakers can change what’s important for a potential buyer when planning a new car purchase.