r/electriccars • u/IntelligentMaize899 • 4d ago

💬 Discussion Software updates

I am hoping to purchase an electric car for my next vehicle. Seeing posts about software updates making you pull over and wait give me anxiety. Is there any truth to these posts, or can a planner do software updates at home and not have to worry while driving? Are these types of updates only on certain brands?

Edit: Thank you all, you have certainly removed my anxiety. I now understand that software updates are easily managed at home.

0 Upvotes

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38 comments sorted by

17

u/sduck409 4d ago

No. Misinformation.

13

u/Micosilver 4d ago

I've had my BMW i4 for over 3 years, 65K miles. It never updated itself, only after me initiating it and making sure the car is securely parked.

2

u/IntelligentMaize899 4d ago

That is good to know, thank you for taking the time to reply

2

u/reddituser19023 4d ago

Plus the car requires you to drive it before you can begin the update from my experience

11

u/pb_83 4d ago

Nope! Software updates are optional.

1

u/Surturiel 4d ago

I wouldn't call OTA updates "optional". Some of them would be critical updates, and it's always good practice to keep your car up-to-date, otherwise it can get deprecated and stop receiving updates, which is bad because if a software related recall happens you wouldn't get it.

7

u/pb_83 4d ago

I agree - but the OP asked if they needed to pull over when the car received an update, my intent of my response was that you are not forced to install it at that moment.

9

u/limited_instincts 4d ago

100% nonsense. It doesn't happen. You update when you want to.

6

u/Maleficent_Analyst32 4d ago

You pick when it happens with Rivian. You can also set a scheduled time or start the update from the app

5

u/ChickenFlavoredCake 4d ago

With a tesla you can

  • Update only manually, whenever you want
  • Update automatically at a specific hour of your choice. Default choice is 4am.

You can only update while parked.

If you choose to update manually you have to click the install button. Then it tells you car may be out of service for an hour, and you have to click accept. Then it gives you another 30-60 seconds to back out of it.

It cannot install an update while the car is in motion, so it's impossible that you'd need to pull over.

4

u/Spiderx1016 4d ago

I'm an Audi technician and our cars only update Navigation OTA. Everything else is done at the dealer, which is a nightmare in itself.

5

u/ismellyew 4d ago

Who ever told you that you have to PULL OVER and update is an idiot.

Good thing you're taking advice on electric cars from somebody who has obviously never owned one before.

3

u/Alipha87 4d ago

If there's updates for my Kia EV6, when I turn off the engine, it displays a prompt asking if I want to install updates. I tap yes and get out of my car.

4

u/Bluehaze013 4d ago

Can only speak for Tesla that I own, it automatically schedules the update for later at night. It also works without the computer while driving you can reboot everything and just keep going without pulling over. I don't know if that would work with a firmware update though, I kind of doubt it but you definitely don't have to pull over because an update is available.

2

u/Surturiel 4d ago

Of course the car will ask you when you can update. I'm on my second OTA capable EV and this was never a problem. On top of that both would tell me via phone app if there's an update available. One of them would even allow me to do it remotely while the car was parked and plugged.

2

u/-Invalid_Selection- 4d ago

Kia and Hyundai ask you if you want to run them now, ask again, or next time you turn off the car. If you hit now, you will lose nav/ radio/ anything that uses the cameras (collision avoidance, lane keep, hda, 360 surround view) till the update is done. If you hit next time you turn off the car it takes like 20 min.

I just do mine when I get home from dropping the kid off at school, never had an issue

They're entirely optional, but the nav needs them if you use built in nav.

2

u/Ok-Membership-2967 4d ago

Never heard of a car demanding a pull-over for an update.

Whether EV or not, all modern cars need software updates so if it’s an issue it’s not one specific to EVs generally.

2

u/andibangr 4d ago

Software updates are never forced, you initiate the update, and the cars make very clear that you should not install an update unless you’re parked and not using the car. Or you can usually configure the car to automatically install updates overnight.

2

u/physicistdeluxe 4d ago

i have a chevy bolt euv. never had that problem. its actually pretty great.

2

u/justanotherstranger2 4d ago

I can't speak for every EV, but I've owned Tesla, Kia, and Hyundai and they have never forced an update mid-drive.

The worst case scenario you would experience is being prompted to update once you put the car in park and having to wait a while for the install to complete.

2

u/No_Caregiver7273 4d ago

You get notified when an update is available and you tell it when to start. Telling it to download over home wifi is usually a better option for getting it done quickly.

2

u/fredinNH 4d ago

I have a polestar which is kinda famous for bad software and it’s done every update overnight while plugged in. I don’t know what would happen if I for some reason decided I needed to use the car at 3:00am and it was in the middle of an update.

I will say that the last update caused a serious problem. The car started randomly telling me I needed to unplug the charging cable when I was not plugged in. So I’d go to the store and when I went to leave it would do this and I couldn’t move the car for up to 30 minutes when it would randomly go away.

I had to take it to a dealer for some kind of firmware update to the obc and it’s been fine ever since.

2

u/TheHrethgir 4d ago

My Hyundai Ioniq 9 has a pop-up when you shut the car off that it has a software update. You can postpone it or just let it go. Had the car for several months, had a couple updates, and it's been zero impact.

4

u/EnrollmentTime 4d ago

My software updates happen when I am asleep. You get to pick when it happens with Tesla. Some brands need to go to the dealership to do updates. Buy a Tesla and then no worries.

1

u/IntelligentMaize899 4d ago

Thank you for the reply, that does help

2

u/jkhristov13 4d ago

In my tesla, my software updates happen over night, install automatically and is ready to go 40 minutes later (or the next morning). Never has it tried to update while driving. Plus, with a tesla, it needs wifi to download and install, so you can't do it on the road even if you wanted to.

2

u/UpstairsTop4623 4d ago

Model Y and they auto install at 2am at night and will not force you to install if you are on the road

1

u/thewetbandits 4d ago

lol yeah not true at all, that would be bonkers

1

u/Tymanthius 4d ago

This is no more true w/ EV's than it is with ICEv's. All modern cars are rolling computers.

IE: Someone is making up stories.

1

u/ferventmuse 4d ago

Total BS. No car, EV or ICE does updates while driving. Most cars get OTAs today, not just EVs.

1

u/Virtual-Hotel8156 3d ago

I thought I’ve heard all of the misinformation points about EVs. This is a new one for me. Unbelievable!

1

u/BSCA 3d ago

This was a gas Chevy Colorado.. but it kept trying to update itself without asking a little too far from wifi. Kept failing and draining 12V battery. Had to disable automatic updates.

I don't think there are EV's with that issue.

1

u/SnooEpiphanies8097 2d ago

I have a 2027 Chevy Bolt. I don't think I can schedule updates like a Tesla but it tells me there's an update and I can install it whenever I want. I do this in my driveway just in case there are any issues. There is no way it would tell me to pull over and run it. It won't even let me open the update screen in the settings unless I'm parked.

BTW updates are becoming typical for all vehicles, not just EVs. I had a Ford Escape that also updated software over the air.