Automakers can change your vehicle overnight, for better or worse

  • Automakers are constantly tweaking their vehicles through over-the-air updates
  • Features can be added, improved upon, or refined
  • Changes to drive unit programming, infotainment, and safety systems are becoming more common
  • Some drivers struggle to adapt to the evolving technology
  • Automakers introducing subscriptions for everyday features
  • Open code can lead to potential problems
  • Fixes can now be addressed remotely without service appointments
  • Added features are often free with software updates
  • Software and hardware need to work harmoniously for the future of automobiles

Automakers are constantly making improvements to their vehicles through over-the-air updates. This means that features can be added, improved upon, or refined. However, this also means that the functionality of your car can change overnight. Changes to drive unit programming, infotainment, and safety systems are becoming more common among manufacturers. While some drivers have no problem adapting to the evolving technology, others struggle to keep up. Automakers are even introducing subscriptions for everyday features, which has caused frustration among some owners. Additionally, open code can lead to potential problems, as seen with recent issues reported by Rivian and Chevy. However, there are benefits to these software updates. Fixes that used to require service appointments can now be addressed remotely, and most added features come free with software updates. Moving forward, it is crucial for software and hardware to work harmoniously for the next generation of vehicles. Despite the challenges, these changes allow our vehicles to evolve at an exponential rate.

Public Companies: Trader Joe’s (null), Tesla (TSLA), BMW (null), Rivian (RIVN), Chevy (null)
Private Companies:
Key People:


Factuality Level: 7
Justification: The article provides information about the concept of Kaizen, the ability of automakers to update vehicle features through over-the-air updates, and the implications and challenges of these updates. The information provided is generally accurate and objective, although there are some subjective statements and personal anecdotes included.

Noise Level: 4
Justification: The article provides some relevant information about the concept of Kaizen and how automakers are using over-the-air updates to improve their vehicles. However, it also includes some irrelevant information about the author’s personal experience and unrelated topics like BMW subscriptions and smartphone functionality. The article lacks scientific rigor and intellectual honesty, as it does not provide evidence or data to support its claims. Overall, the article contains a moderate level of noise and lacks focus.

Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No

Presence of Extreme Event: No
Nature of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating of the Extreme Event: No
Justification: The article does not pertain to financial topics and does not describe any extreme events.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com