Volkswagen set to begin over-the-air EV updates

Published on 7 July, 2021

Overview

Soon your new electric Volkswagen ID will be regularly updated without you having to go near a garage.

Volkswagen claims it is the first volume manufacturer to operate over-the-air updates for its ID cars via mobile data transfer (in fairness, upmarket electric vehicle maker Tesla is renowned for constantly sending such updates).

The IDs will get new functions and, Volkswagen says, owners will benefit from greater comfort.

The decision, relatively soon after the launch of the ID.3 and ID.4, is being described by the manufacturer as a ‘milestone’ on its road to becoming a software-oriented mobility provider.

It means that its electric cars remain up-to-date at all times, regardless of age and length of time purchased.

One likely benefit is that cars will hold their value better as they will not trail brand new models by so much.

That is good news for current electric vehicle (EV) owners. According to research by Cartell.ie, such owners are likely to hold on to their motors for much longer than their fossil-fuelled counterparts. More anon.

 Volkswagen brand chief Ralf Brandstätter says of the latest move: “We are creating a completely new, digital customer experience with new functions and greater comfort every 12 weeks.”

The company says: “The first model to benefit is the ID.31: the latest software version ‘ID.Software2.3’ will be delivered to First Movers Club customers via mobile data transfer in July 2021.”
The update includes adjustments and improvements to operations, performance and comfort. Updates for all ID.3, ID.42 and ID.4 GTX3 customers “will follow gradually”.

Into the future, the company will update the software in its ID cars every three months.

Judging by the latest survey from Cartell.ie, they will be updating a lot more EVs here. Its recent report found that ID sales had taken off like a rocket up to the end of May, despite only being on the market for a relatively short time.

The Cartell.ie report says: “With the relatively late arrival to the EV scene, Volkswagen have had a phenomenal start to its electrification goals.” Their survey found that the number of EVs sold by the manufacturer in the year to the end of May significantly outsold its rivals.

It also reported that compared to their petrol and diesel counterparts, owners of EVs tend to hold on to their vehicle longer. Looking at all private cars registered between 2013 and 2019, it found that 65pc of EVs during that period are still in the hands of their first owner.

“This contrasts with a figure of 40pc for the private fleet as a whole for the same period,” the report says.

Meanwhile, new figures from SIMI show that the level of EV buying is “very encouraging” in terms of the Government’s plan to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. There were 390 new EVs registered last month compared with 42 in June 2020.

So far this year, 4,333 new EVs have been registered – up from 1,889 on the corresponding period in 2020.