Over-the-Air Updates, a Comparison – CleanTechnica

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When is a automobile not only a automobile? When it’s an EV with over-the-air updates. Electrical automobiles usually are not simply transport from A to B, they’re linked computer systems on wheels. As new electrical automobiles enter the Australian market, customers want to pay attention to extra than simply drivetrain guarantee, but additionally connectivity and ease of updates. Is your automobile “future proof?” I believed it may be value trying on the three high promoting EVs at the moment in the marketplace in Australia — Tesla, BYD, and MG.

Connectivity and over-the-air (OTA) updates have gotten as essential as air-con and entry to music. A few of us can bear in mind when most automobiles didn’t have AC or a radio!

I purchased my Tesla Mannequin 3 with the concept that I might maintain it until I ended driving. We had beforehand owned 3 automobiles on the similar time, an computerized Hyundai Sonata, a guide 4-speed Hyundai Accent, and my toy automobile, a 1964 Wolseley (George). I discovered it tense to alter between the automobiles and was pleased to scale back to at least one automobile in retirement. Then, I found over-the-air updates! After a few of these annoying interruptions, I really feel like I’m driving a unique automobile over again.

Many of the updates, which obtain when the automobile is parked within the storage or our driveway, solely make minor changes — changes to issues we didn’t know we had. Others make important enhancements. Like an early replace to our battery administration software program which elevated out vary from 320 km to 340 km. Seemed like a whole lot of vary 5 years in the past.

Majella is enamoured with the infotainment updates supplying karaoke to sing together with the grandkids and Spotify to allow them to take heed to songs we’ve got by no means heard earlier than by artists we didn’t know existed. They get sick of Abba and the Beatles. Our newest replace has even given us entry to native climate data on the display screen and guardian controls for many who have younger drivers. Not an issue for us. We will additionally see non-Tesla chargers after we navigate to components unknown.

She likes the truth that visitors lights now present up within the improved animation on the correct aspect of the display screen. The enlarged fonts make it simpler for previous eyes to learn. She finds it annoying when a display screen icon disappears into the menu — just like the tyre data. The regen data has moved additionally, and is tougher to learn. It migrated from the highest of the display screen to the aspect of the display screen.

As I don’t personal or drive Australia’s second highest promoting electrical automobile model, BYD, I reached out to certainly one of my correspondents for his take.

“Over-the-air updates are an attention-grabbing a part of the possession of the BYD merchandise. Within the early levels these updates have been managed and accomplished at chosen service centres, with a number of the MyCar service centres additionally capable of full the updates. Because the model has grown, so too has the help supplied by BYD with ‘Over the Air’ updates accessible for proprietor set up.

“BYD will notify homeowners of the upcoming replace after which it’s a easy matter of ready to your automobile to be issued with the replace discover, giving entry to the replace. Updates are rolled out progressively, that means typically it’s a must to be affected person and wait your flip. When the replace is prepared to your automobile, straightforward to comply with directions are displayed on the knowledge display screen while you begin the automobile.

“Comfort is the important thing right here, so if it isn’t an appropriate time to finish the obtain, the choice to delay and re-schedule the obtain makes the method obtainable at a time to go well with the proprietor. These directions will present the replace identifier in addition to a quick description of what is going to be included, time required for the replace to obtain, and easy to comply with directions. Updates could also be accomplished at house or while the automobile is securely parked. So long as there’s a sound Wi-Fi connection and enough time, you’re good to go.

“There have been loads of reviews on social media platforms relating to updates, and a few homeowners have skilled just a few minor points with the downloads. Nonetheless, the updates are an environment friendly and handy means to handle minor points. Sometimes a perform you want could also be changed with one which isn’t fairly the identical as you have been used to. One in every of these is the pedestrian warning sound. That perform was silenced however has since (or will quickly be) re-activated in a menu choice in one other replace.

“BYD does listen to customer concerns with their vehicles, and where possible, will address these (where justified) through over the air updates. It does take time to address these concerns and to develop and test the updates before releasing to the owners. No point resolving one issue and creating another in the process. If an owner has ongoing issues with or from an update, they should contact their local BYD Service Centre.”

My buddy who drives an MG4 loves the automobile, however finds the supplier backup for updates fairly irritating. He has to take his automobile to the supplier in a regional Queensland metropolis the place he lives. Nonetheless, there are not any notifications re: updates. He tells me that on the Fb MG teams there was “quite the discussion” about updates, with combined views on sellers’ skills and curiosity in offering them. He tells me that he has heard of a current replace relating to one-pedal driving, safe-distance driving, and navigation. It’s proposed that this replace be carried out on the 40,000 km “first service.” He expects that there will likely be many updates ready for his automobile by then — in about a few years!

One other Tesla driver took his daughter’s MG4 in for its replace and repair. He needed to drive 150 km to a different metropolis to take it again to the dealership and wait all day. The MG was not plugged in in the course of the replace course of and on the time of decide up didn’t have sufficient cost to get him house. He needed to keep in a single day in Gladstone. “The inconvenience of going to a dealer is the main issue plus lack of notification,” he tells me.

One other diver in regional Queensland has simply bought a Volvo EX30 in Brisbane. “He can get OTA updates. Good thing. as the nearest Volvo dealer is very distant … I had to encourage him to turn on one pedal driving!”

In search of additional responses, I reached out to the EV group through the Australian Electric Vehicle Queensland Facebook page. “I can tell you about Kona. None.” The 2019 Ioniq proprietor agreed. A 2024 Hyundai Kona proprietor chipped in: “We have had a couple of OTA updates already in the first month for the 2024 Kona over the 4G SIM.”

From an skilled Polestar driver through e-mail: “Polestar includes 4yrs (I think) of 4g connectivity with the car in Australia so the OTAs are delivered over the mobile network (some people do connect their cars to home wifi when parked but personally I don’t think it makes much of a difference). There is no cost for the OTA updates. It downloads in the background, usually when you go for a decent drive. You get the ‘angry cloud’ icon in the notification area of the screen. Once you get that, you choose when to install it. You can choose immediately (which will then install when you park up and lock the car — you’re advised not to use the car for 90 minutes), or since an upgrade late last year, you can schedule it. I usually schedule for overnight, 2am or something.”

“Typically when a brand new replace is launched, it’s only obtainable via a dealership go to initially. I feel that is their approach of monitoring the early updaters earlier than releasing it to the lots. This particularly occurs with a serious model launch.

“You’ll be able to view the software program update change log here. In the event you have a look at the log, you’ll be able to see some important updates, together with delivering Apple CarPlay, updates to cruise management and Pilot Help performance, enhancements to warmth pump effectivity, updates to pre-conditioning together with switching on the steering wheel heater when the temp will get under 10°C (I used to be glad of this one just lately, even in QLD), enhancements to controlling charging (scheduling, setting the present restrict from the app, and many others.), effectivity enhancements, and making driving at low speeds smoother.

“Generally, the Polestar community is always keen to see updates. They get announced and usually are already available at the dealerships (as much as Polestar has dealerships) and Volvo, then we’re usually waiting for the first OTAs to land.”

Due to this massive vary of choices throughout automobile manufacturers, first time EV patrons must ask the correct questions once they buy their automobile. And hope the salespeople have the correct data. As our EVs get incrementally higher each few months, the longer term is trying brilliant, electrical, and linked.