Volkswagen struggled with massive software problems when the ID.3 was launched last year.
With an upgrade everything should get better now.
Wolfsburg - In the race for dominance in the rapidly growing market for e-cars, VW is increasing the pressure on Tesla.
From now on, the new E-models ID.3 and ID.4 will be factory-equipped for updates via cellular network or WLAN, the company announced on Wednesday.
Owners of older models would have to go to the workshop again for the necessary system update, it was said.
Afterwards, these vehicles are also ready for "over-the-air" updates (OTA).
The first more comprehensive online update for the fleet is then planned for the summer.
Tests are currently being carried out on around 3,000 company cars.
VW: Over-the-air updates important milestone
OTA is considered to be a central component in the reorientation of the group towards e-mobility.
Europe's largest car manufacturer wants to increase the proportion of its own software solutions in vehicles to 60 percent by 2025.
Currently, ten percent of the software comes from the VW Group or from suppliers such as Bosch or Continental.
In order to increase its own development strength, the group founded its own unit, Car.Software.Org, last year.
With VW.OS, the group is expected to bring its own car operating system to market maturity by 2024.
The goal is a team of 10,000 employees by 2025.
That would be around twice as many at the end of 2020.
With the development of its own solutions, Volkswagen wants to protect itself against possible dependence on IT giants such as Google or Apple.
CEO Herbert Diess recently stated repeatedly that in the medium term, cars would become “smartphones on four wheels”.
In addition to in-house development, the group is also increasingly relying on collaborations, for example in the development of autonomous driving.
The partners include corporations such as Microsoft, Amazon and Ford.
VW: quarterly updates
Regular software updates also enable the group to maintain closer contact with its customers.
In addition, the company is increasing its ability to increasingly sell additional, chargeable upgrades to owners in the future.
However, the Wolfsburg still have to struggle with starting difficulties.
With the ID.3, for example, some updates on missing functions had to be installed at the dealer after the market launch in September.
The group subsidiary Porsche also had to ask its power Stromer Taycan to come to the workshops for an update in the fall.
That made for malice on the web.
Everything should get better now.
Starting in the summer, VW wants to deliver regular program updates every three months.
The offer should extend to individual functions as well as “in-depth technical updates” and the control units.
However, updates for the central control units in particular are considered to be highly complex.
