Automakers Move Toward OTA Software Upgrades

Lucas123 writes: While some carmakers today offer over-the-air software upgrades to navigation maps and infotainment head units, Tesla became the first last week to perform a powertrain upgrade overnight. But as the industry begins adopting internal vehicle bus standards with greater bandwidth and more robust security, experts believe vehicle owners will no longer be required to visit dealerships or perform downloads to USB sticks. IHS predicts that in the next three to five years, most, if not all automakers, will offer fully fledged OTA software-enabled platforms that encompass upgrades to every vehicle system — from infotainment, safety, comfort, and powertrain. First, however, carmakers must deploy more open OS platforms, remove hardened firewalls between vehicle ECUs, and deploy networking topologies such as Ethernet, with proven security.

Comments

Will they be cut off after 6mo-1year

[Anonymous Coward]

Will they be cut off after 6mo-1year
and they want the new update BUY A NEW CAR.

I hope auto drive systems have at least 5 years of updates at no added cost.

BS

[stooo]

>> What could possibly go wrong?
Nothing. There are hardly any firewalls between ECUs. Firewalls do not exist on CAN.
The article is written by someone with no insight in car architecture :

>> First, however, carmakers must deploy more open OS platforms
Nothing to do with the reflashing

>> remove hardened firewalls between vehicle ECUs
There aren't any firewalls

>> and deploy networking topologies such as Ethernet, with proven security.
Ethernet is already widely deployed in cars for data hungry applications ( infotainment) For other uses, ethernet is absolutely not suitable ( price, power, wiring constraints, EMC, safety, .....)