-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Under-appreciated aspect of Tesla vs other cars
- Thread starter dhu1
- Start date
ReverendTed
Member
I don’t accept the “other auto manufacturers ship a finished product” thesis. A simple example: my previous ride was a 2007 Toyota RAV4 Limited. It had a Bluetooth phone link with a very loud and annoying ring. There was no way to turn the ring’s volume down. An update could have added that. Every ICE vehicle ships with imperfections that could be fixed if the Tesla OTA update model were more of a standard.
That said, the OTA is hardly under-appreciated. Most of us forums users obsess over the contents of each update, and pine for the next. I still think that Tesla’s most under-appreciated asset remains what some SeekingAlpha pundits have noted, the Supercharger network.
That said, the OTA is hardly under-appreciated. Most of us forums users obsess over the contents of each update, and pine for the next. I still think that Tesla’s most under-appreciated asset remains what some SeekingAlpha pundits have noted, the Supercharger network.
2011 Hyundai Sonata - firmware crashes, revealing Windows CE as its OS. Bluetooth connection with phones are always flaky. Hyundai decided that an artificial fade in from silence was a good idea, resulting in the beginning of every song cut off. No song metadata shown while BT streaming. All this stuff got fixed years down the road in newer models but could never be updated on my car.
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
In all fairness, Windows CE has a completely different kernel from Windows desktop/laptop/tablet versions. Windows CE is a real-time operating system (RTOS), with a predictable and deterministic interrupt latency. It was designed from the ground up for embedded systems with very low memory. This places it in the same class of operating system as VxWorks and QNX. These operating systems are used in satellites and space probes (including the Mars rovers), critical medical devices like pacemakers, and other safety-related applications.
The drawback is that Microsoft isn't nearly as experienced in this type of OS, and they of course do not write the applications that run on top of it, such as the UI.
No, it’s reality because Tesla has consistently provided new features OTA that were not promised at delivery.
I owned a 2013 Model S for almost four years. During that time period the car was consistently improved OTA with features that I was not promised and never anticipated. It was simply amazing.
I replaced the S with an X in 2017 only because I wanted to tow a camper trailer and did not want to modify my S to do that. Since taking delivery of my X it has also been OTA improved with features that I did not anticipate. And that process will continue for years to come.
It is now almost 6 years since Tesla launched the Model S and still no other car manufacturer has implemented an OTA update capability on any more than a tiny fraction of all the new cars they are currently producing. They are way, way behind Tesla in that regard (and in almost every other area).
suwaneedad
Member
I doubt they view themselves as being 'behind' though; they rely on people trading in perfectly good cars to have the latest/greatest feature set. If the legacy mfrs got into the OTA upgrade business, they'd miss out on a core component of their customer upgrade business model. Doesn't mean I agree with their approach; Tesla has begun to eat them alive in the S and X segments, with 3 (and Y) not far away from doing the same. The legacy guys will look in the rear view mirror soon and regret playing defense rather than offense. Pass the popcorn, this is fun to watch.
OTA updates on classic cars (pre AP) effectively stopped when the AP cars started. We get them still, sure, but by and large there’s little or nothing in them of any consequence. IIRC the biggest improvement on my Jan 2014 was the trip planner...
I’d imagine AP1 cars are probably there, or close to there.
If you always have the latest-and-greatest it’s a non-issue, but if you keep a car for more than a major product lifecycle, OTA will lose its relevance.
A recent firmware update was a pretty big deal for us cold climate owners - the ability to have the car precondition the battery, mirrors, steering wheel, and wipers from the mobile app.
I'm also appreciative of the easy entry enhancement.
Navigation overhaul is coming as well.
These are hardly insignificant OTA updates for pre-AP cars.
Fair, though definitely subjective when it comes to relative significance (or for the examples given, not, IMHO).
Many of us don’t have heated wheels or wipers (and honestly I don’t even know if my mirrors are heated). Battery heating is cool, but minimal to zero impact for most drivers most of the time. Easy entry is zero impact for most people, and a nav overhaul won’t make any appreciable difference to most drivers. Sure, it’s quirky now, but it works.
Don’t get me wrong, I think ota updates are cool and I’m glad tesla has them. They’re a way to simultaneously reduce pre-launch dev time AND make owners feel like they have the gift that keeps on giving, and I don’t say that cynically.
I agree. There comes a point where the hardware is so out of date that there are not a lot of improvements to be made. OTA is, IMO, significant and a tremendous advantage for Tesla over other carmakers. But after six or eight years there are probably not that many things that can still be improved. It's a matter of diminishing returns: With a new car people figure out what could have been done better, or the programmers figure out better algorithms, and OTA allows them to push those improvements out to the cars. But eventually the programmers are going to have that car optimized to the limits of its hardware and all the bugs will have been discovered and fixed.
dgpcolorado
high altitude member
In addition to easy entry, which I use, I appreciated what we call "camper mode." I also liked the map change to full screen that some rail against since it hides the top menu — I usually drive with the map on display (in satellite view) just because I like looking at it where I live. I thought that the information window that pops up when one touches a Supercharger Station icon, which includes the number of open slots, is a helpful improvement, even though it isn't always accurate IME.
These may be little things but I have enjoyed using them.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
ℬête Noire
Active Member
In my experience it is simply materialized colour operating on the 49th vibration, so common place and straight forward an explanation that you'd make that conclusion walking down the street or going to the store.
Oh, wait did you mean to type that 'E' at the end?
WinCE (wins) v.i. to shrink or flinch, as from blow or pain.
Webster sums it up pretty well.
I know how it would have affected me. I bought an '89 Olds Toronado Trofeo, discounted as a dealer demo. Had a color touch screen with lots of alerts delivered through it. Had to turn off the voice alerts because, when it would get low on gas, the act of gas sloshing around the tank would have you seeing the screen constantly flash the low-fuel warning repeatedly adn constantly starting to say "Low fuel..." then nothing then "Low fuel..."
For all the world, I wanted a software update that would have it happen ONCE per operating trip. Lots of little things that showed how little testing they did with the interfaces could have been fixed over time.
OTA allows more than just fixing bugs and delivering new features.
It allows cars to adapt to environment changes. This is not just another feature, it mitigates aging.
This is most obvious with navigation maps, but it is not limited to them.
It allows cars to adapt to environment changes. This is not just another feature, it mitigates aging.
This is most obvious with navigation maps, but it is not limited to them.
Similar threads
