New reports on Ford’s Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, which is due to debut in 2021, show that the vehicle is likely to get the same types of virtualized upgrades that are common in newer Tesla models and other late-model vehicles, through the modern miracle of wireless cloud services.
Sean Szymkowski reports at CNET’s Roadshow that when it comes to over the air updates, Ford “won’t be left behind.”
As Szymkowski notes, types of over the air updates might relate to software patching and versioning for infotainment systems, and even impact engine performance.
“On Tuesday, the automaker said OTA updates will be a big part of the SUV and noted it’s almost certain the Mustang Mach-E will have features it didn’t possess when it left the factory,” Szymkowski writes, further stating that Ford further specifies that many of these updates will “occur without the owner noticing for a super seamless presentation.”
If using a smartphone model for key vehicle technology updates sounds like a recall waiting to happen, the OTA approach is also a marked efficiency in how automakers can deliver new functionality to customers.
Last year, Bertel Schmitt at The Drive did some investigative reporting to find out why Tesla’s OTA updates were so uncommon. What he found was that there are significant issues with the legality of monkeying around with vehicle systems after the car has left the factory.
“In most parts of the world, an automobile must be road legal to be fit for sale,” Schmitt writes, also documenting his interaction with Elon Musk over an OTA braking update. “In the business, this is referred to as ‘homologation.’ In the U.S. and Canada, the OEM certifies that the vehicle complies with all rules, such as FMVSS in the U.S., or CMVSS north of the border, along with other voluntary agreements such as NCAPs and more, and the car is good to go. OEMs must have all tests and documentation done in case the authorities come checking.”
Schmitt lays out some of the common process and documentation practices around the world.
“In Europe, India, China, Japan, and many other countries, compliance with the rules must be demonstrated to the authorities,” he writes. “If the regulators are happy, they issue a ‘certificate of conformity’ with the rules. This CoC, often nicknamed the ‘birth certificate of the car,’ is the basis of the type approval, and it allows the car to be sold and operated.”
The upshot seems to be that OTA upgrades, especially those related to engine and safety systems, are not fully able to be vetted the way that regulators feel they should be. Keep this in mind with auto plays as you look at news from Ford and other makers that may be ebullient on OTAs.