tech
When your vehicle outlives its cloud: What happens next?
Automakers love connected vehicles, but support isn’t open-ended.
TL;DR
- Connected vehicle services, enabled by cloud technology, have been available since the 1990s and are now standard on most new vehicles.
- Automakers benefit from connected services through over-the-air (OTA) software updates and potential subscription revenue.
- The obsolescence of connected services is driven by cellular network upgrades (e.g., 3G shutdown) and automakers' decisions to discontinue support for older systems.
- When services shut down, vehicles can lose features like remote lock/start, cabin preconditioning, and emergency assistance.
- Consumers can mitigate the loss through software/OTA updates, hardware replacements, aftermarket devices, or by using smartphone integration like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
- The future of connected vehicles may involve modular, software-defined architectures that allow for easier hardware and software upgrades.