What are automotive 'over-the-air' updates? A marketing professor explains

Whenever automakers discover that a vehicle has a defect^[1] or does not comply with U.S. laws, they must notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and mail a notice to each customer who owns or leases the affected vehicles. Automakers must also recall those cars, trucks or SUVs – which means they have to fix the defect across the entire fleet.

People with recalled vehicles usually have to schedule a visit to an authorized dealership, where a mechanic repairs the car.

But vehicles are increasingly high-tech contraptions. Although most recalls still require the replacement or repair of auto parts, such as air bags or brakes, a growing number of issues are resolved without any help from a mechanic.

All they require is an “over-the-air update^[2].” That’s the technical term for what happens when you update any software program used by a device^[3], whether’s it’s a smartphone or a sedan.

Over-the-air updates are especially common^[4] for vehicles that run fully or partially on electricity instead of gasoline or another fuel^[5]. These digital recalls require little or no effort. For example, Tesla regularly fixes^[6] its cars by updating its software. Its drivers often don’t have to do a thing. In other cases, a Tesla owner simply has to tap^[7] a few buttons on the car’s touchscreen.

According to the law, it doesn’t matter if safety-related fixes demand a software upgrade or a trip to the dealership. Either way, notifying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and all affected drivers is mandatory.

Why over-the-air updates matter

Electric vehicle sales nearly doubled^[8] from about 300,000 in 2020 to more than 600,000 in 2021. EV sales rose another 76% in first quarter of 2022^[9] even as sales of all new vehicles dropped by 15.7%.

U.S. EV sales could be on the verge of far more growth^[10], which would make over-the-air updates increasingly common. But drivers^[11] and investors^[12] are raising an array of safety concerns that could put the brakes on the EV market’s expansion.

Serious problems have included electric vehicles failing to start^[13], losing power^[14] and catching fire because of battery defects^[15].

Musk objects to the word ‘recall’

Tesla has pushed harder than its competitors^[16] to rely primarily on over-the-air updates to fix problems with its electric vehicles. Its CEO, Elon Musk, has for years publicly questioned^[17] the wisdom of calling over-the-air updates “recalls.”

In some cases, Tesla has conducted over-the-air updates to resolve safety defects without notifying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or Tesla owners^[19] that a recall was underway.

Because that’s against the law^[20], the agency has ordered Tesla to provide those details.

Tesla has used over-the-air updates to resolve, for example, issues with its windshield wipers^[21] and seat belt chimes^[22]. It has also used over-the-air updates^[23] to address problems with^[24] its partially automated driving systems^[25]. Those features are the subject of a government investigation because of a spate of crashes with parked emergency vehicles^[26] in which first responders were using warning signs, such as flashing lights or flares.

References

1. ^{^} automakers discover that a vehicle has a defect (www.sundevilauto.com)
2. ^{^} over-the-air update (www.pathpartnertech.com)
3. ^{^} update any software program used by a device (www.devicechronicle.com)
4. ^{^} especially common (www.caranddriver.com)
5. ^{^} electricity instead of gasoline or another fuel (electrek.co)
6. ^{^} Tesla regularly fixes (static.nhtsa.gov)
7. ^{^} Tesla owner simply has to tap (static.nhtsa.gov)
8. ^{^} Electric vehicle sales nearly doubled (www.energy.gov)
9. ^{^} rose another 76% in first quarter of 2022 (insideclimatenews.org)
10. ^{^} be on the verge of far more growth (www.fortunebusinessinsights.com)
11. ^{^} drivers (www.cnn.com)
12. ^{^} investors (www.cnbc.com)
13. ^{^} electric vehicles failing to start (www.cnbc.com)
14. ^{^} losing power (www.cnbc.com)
15. ^{^} catching fire because of battery defects (www.cnn.com)
16. ^{^} pushed harder than its competitors (www.cnn.com)
17. ^{^} Elon Musk, has for years publicly questioned (www.motorbiscuit.com)
18. ^{^} AP Photos/Florida Highway Patrol (newsroom.ap.org)
19. ^{^} National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or Tesla owners (www.cnbc.com)
20. ^{^} against the law (www.nytimes.com)
21. ^{^} windshield wipers (static.nhtsa.gov)
22. ^{^} seat belt chimes (static.nhtsa.gov)
23. ^{^} over-the-air updates (static.nhtsa.gov)
24. ^{^} problems with (www.autoblog.com)
25. ^{^} automated driving systems (www.tesla.com)
26. ^{^} crashes with parked emergency vehicles (www.cbsnews.com)