Remember when telephones only made phone calls?
Now, with a connection to the internet, the
modern smartphone can do so much more, like
access email and social media; set alarms;
check maps, traffic, and weather; listen to
music, and play games; and get the latest
news.
A similar trend is starting to happen with
the automotive industry.
Before 1996, cars couldn't connect to anything.
In 1996, OnStar became the first connected
vehicle service delivery program.
In 2001, embedded Bluetooth with speech recognition
for hands-free calling was introduced.
By 2009, software could be updated over-the-air
for commercial fleet programs and consumer
infotainment systems.
In 2017, software updates and data management
for additional vehicle systems and components
became available for widespread automotive
production in future model years.
Next, is the road to autonomous vehicles.
Software technology for connected vehicles
is transforming the automotive landscape,
and software advancements will lead to new
opportunities and innovations we are just
now beginning to realize.
These software advancements come with a massive
increase in the amount of code, and will increasingly
require updates similar to what we have come
to expect from smartphones, PCs, and other
consumer electronics.
Today's luxury sedan now has more lines of
code than a particle collider, with 50 million,
and a fighter jet with 22 million.
How many lines of code will there be in autonomous
vehicles?
Experts predict as much as 300 million.
As more software is built into vehicles, the
number of vehicle software recalls will steadily
increase year-over-year, and these software
recalls will cost automakers billions of dollars
a year globally.
The percent of US software recalls in 2014
was just 6%, and jumped to 27% in 2015.
The US software recall expense estimate was
34 million in 2014 and jumped to 164 million
in 2015, nearly a 5x increase.
The most immediate benefits of updating software
over-the-air is reducing recall expense, achieving
faster recall compliance times, and improving
cybersecurity response.
The current recall process involves automakers
sending letters to consumers, who then drive
to dealerships for manual software updates.
With over-the-air software updates, this process
can be automated from the cloud, and consumers
can get their vehicle software updates remotely
and with far less hassle.
On the other side of the coin: data collection.
OTA enabled connected vehicles can not only
receive software updates, they can transmit
data to the cloud for analytics.
This will increasingly allow automakers to
understand and manage the vehicle's operation
and performance, as well as deliver new services,
leading to enhanced consumer experiences and
brand loyalty.
OTA software updates and data management is
growing more complex as automotive requirements
transition from single ECUs like head units,
to multiple ECUs for highly critical vehicle
systems and components controlling the engine,
powertrain, and other vital functions.
OTA will also be crucial to enabling autonomous
cars in the future.
Constant updates are required to keep vehicle
software optimized and able to communicate
with its surroundings, ensuring the safety
of passengers, and non-passengers alike.
OTA use cases are both compelling and ever-evolving.
Protect vehicles from cybersecurity threats,
allow them to receive real-time information
about road conditions, closures, and traffic.
Transmit data about location, condition, and
use, and communicate with other cars and transportation
infrastructure in our increasingly connected
world.
Fully expect OTA software technology, cloud
service delivery, and autonomous vehicles
to redefine the automotive world, even more
than earlier phases of connected cars while
also conserving precious resources, and most
importantly, saving lives.
