Quote:
Originally Posted by gasman
What happens when the New EV's become like smartphones and won't be taking updates 5-10 years down the road?
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I would say that with the "critical mass" of EV car ownership, warranty support probably becomes far more robust; the market should be able to dictate this. Additionally, OS's that run on cloud platforms with a car simply being a terminal node, combined with possibly open-source development and API-dominated software used in conjunction with charging scheduling through EV/IoT networks, means that I think they wouldn't just simply "brick" a vehicle. It would become part of an ecosystem that works with its physical limitations.
Additionally, if automobile industry standards are such that efficiency and range thresholds are increased, the vehicle's OS is the easiest way to work with the parts of the car. As an example, Tesla’s 2020.4 update increased the range of their Model X cars from 328 miles (527km) to 351 miles (564 km), while their Model S versions saw an increase in range from 373 miles (600km) to 390 miles (627km). One day there may be regulation for standard minimums or competition-driven efficiency standards.
The only way I could see the drop happening is if the ownership model was such that a brand-dedicated owner of an EV can upgrade or switch fairly easily before the car is bricked. Subscription-based usage or low-barrier, on-demand refinancing could help the case.