Krishna Jayaraman is the automotive and transportation industry analyst at research firm Frost & Sullivan.
In September, Jayaraman penned a report about the value of using connected vehicle technology to provide over the air (OTA) software/firmware updates to cars, rather than having them come to a dealership service department to make those repairs. According to the report, between 60 percent and 70 percent of recalls in major auto markets are due to software glitches.
Are there technical limitations to how OEMs can connect to vehicles over the air? What infrastructure needs to be in place, and what technology needs to be in place in vehicle, for software/firmware updates to happen in this manner?
First, to make a connection with the vehicles over the air, all the cars need to be connected. We have two forms of connectivity (embedded through the black box or tethered through a smartphone). Additionally, the challenges are the size of updates being sent to the vehicle. The larger the size, the more time it takes, incurring additional data charges. Disruption of connectivity is a big challenge, in certain cases where Internet connectivity is lost; the system should be able to roll back the changes. In case of critical updates for ECUs, there has to be an independent link so that it does not hinder the safe operation of the car. Smart infrastructures, V2V [vehicle to vehicle] and V2X will definitely act as a catalyst. But with the focus on the connected car, OTA has a very high potential.
You mentioned security concerns in the report. What about the safety of a firmware update when the vehicle is being operated? Would these interactions need to be "opt-in" while the vehicle is stationary?
It is still questionable if the vehicles can be updated while in motion. The update process should not hinder the other ECUs, which might result in a failure scenario. Additionally, the updates should be encrypted so that they cannot be accessed by some third party. A vehicle in a stationary mode will have a constant connectivity access that would not be a threat to a user. The industry is still looking for viable solutions.
Would dealers be concerned about this type of direct OEM-driver interface for correcting software-related recall issues? Would service departments be deprived of warranty work, or would they be glad to be freed from the hassle?
OTA would partly hinder the revenue stream for the dealerships and service centers. OTA is very much restricted to software updates, meaning the vehicle would have to visit the dealership for hardware changes. But with CRM and VRM solutions, the process of repairing a vehicle for the dealerships will become hassle free. Additionally, updates will be purely based on error correction. Real-time diagnostics and error correction requires a high level of data analytics and reactive measures. This obviously is coming in the future, but for now is restricted to infotainment and other non-driving related functions in the vehicle.
You also mentioned that Tesla and Chrysler offer firmware updates via 3G or WiFi. Are any other OEMs actually doing vehicle system firmware/software updates OTA?
Tesla and Chrysler have already shown examples of OTA, but the other OEMs working in the field are Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Toyota and Chevrolet.
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