Allegedly, the push for software-based cars comes more from future customers than from manufacturers. We have our doubts, but let's examine this argument. Was
What do customers expect from such a car, and not just Chinese customers?
They assume usage. There are busy people and those who are glued to their computers even when they're not driving. They simply state that they want to seamlessly transfer their home or work experience
into the car.
They don't seem to be much more interested in driving than that. So whatever they were doing shortly before the car journey, they want to continue doing as seamlessly as possible during it. For them, more
than just level 2 autonomous driving will be of interest.
Such people are used to having things like their smartphones adapt to their needs. They are increasingly demanding this from new cars as well. Perhaps even more so, that they should cover e.g. the needs
that will develop in them for as long as possible.
Car manufacturers have interpreted this for themselves and believe that they must offer the most unusual experiences possible in their cars. However, as this can vary greatly among widely differing buyer
groups, it may also be why the vehicles are so expensive.
In addition, our cars have become increasingly dependent on software in recent decades. This initially led to the addition of sensors and actuators, then information and control screens, finally functions that are
almost entirely software-based.
And just as the widely observed hardware platform exists across multiple models, similar platforms have also be created for software. Nowadays, almost all information in a car is requested only once and then
shared, but by no means only within the vehicle.
The OEM itself may be involved, as has long been the case with Tesla, and/or the dealer. Even the government is getting involved, and even without having to pay extra for a SIM card, emergency calls are still
possible. Not to mention the increasingly important connection to the cloud.
This not only records information, but can also perform more complex calculations and return them to the car in a fraction of the time it would take the car itself. We generally have no idea how much computing
power is involved.
The cloud also makes it easier or even possible to update the car to the latest version if, for example, outdated hardware in the car makes an over-the-air update seem pointless.
It's incredible how many areas are affected by connections to the cloud or the outside world. You can imagine the manufacturer's interest. Just two examples would be monitoring the battery over the years and
a large amount of habit and traffic data.
Retailers may want to know about possible breakdowns and the assistance required, but this is already covered in part by the call for help. In the area of traffic information, e.g. about traffic jams and weather
conditions, only a few examples are mentioned here.
We believe we have already discovered that Tesla, for example, has replaced the passenger in autonomous test drives with a person with a screen in a central location. This is just the beginning, because without
government monitoring of traffic, autonomous driving is not possible in the private sphere.
Access becomes more intensive when, for example, the chassis in a luxury car wants detailed information about road conditions and, in some cases, the course of the road, so that it can prepare for the next curve and
prevent passengers from feeling it.
Then there is the famous example of Tesla's brakes responding too slowly, which was complained about by the authorities and apparently fixed with an OTA update. How much quieter is this than recalling thousands of
cars with all the accompanying media coverage?
