Do you know "car update"?
August 20, 17:28
"Update" to add new features.
It's natural for your smartphone or computer.
But these days it's not the only one.
You can do it with a car.
Not only good design and good fuel economy.
Nowadays, the main battlefield of automobile manufacturers' development is also called "update function".
What happens to your car with the update?
I have seen the front line.
(Hiroaki Tsuboi, Ministry of Economic Affairs)
Cars like smartphones ...
It's been about a year since I was in charge of interviewing the automobile industry.
I came across various keywords such as "CASE (connecting cars and electrification)" and "gasoline removal", but recently I often hear "update".
To see the front line, when I visited the dealer of the American EV maker "Tesla", which is said to be ahead in this field, the person in charge said:
"Is it like a computer with tires?"
I understand the version upgrade of the personal computer, but what is the update of the car?
I decided to actually test drive and check it.
The function of the air conditioner was introduced as an example.
It is possible to change the set temperature without having to operate it by hand.
"Air conditioner 18 degrees!" When I called out to the display next to the steering wheel, the set temperature, which was 24 degrees, immediately switched to 18 degrees.
Since it responds to the voice emitted from the driver's position, it is said that there are few malfunctions even if people in the passenger seat or the back seat are chatting.
This feature wasn't included when the car was sold.
The update added the latest features.
When asked "What other features can I update?" ...
・ A function that can automatically change lanes ・ A function
that monitors and records the surroundings of the car with a camera while parking to help prevent theft
・ A
function
that increases the efficiency of the air conditioner and extends the mileage of the EV
・ Operates the wiper with voice recognition function…
He introduced so many features that I couldn't remember at once.
In the case of Tesla, the frequency of updates is said to be once every few months on average.
I have come to understand the meaning of the parable of the person in charge of "a personal computer with tires".
Update function one after another
The manufacturer develops new software and updates the software of the car parked in the user's house using communication like a smartphone.
This is the basic mechanism of updating.
Now that the car is connected to the Internet and various functions are electronically controlled by software, the latest functions can be used without having to buy a new car.
It's not just Tesla.
Now, many automobile manufacturers are developing one after another.
"The brand new car I just bought is in the best condition."
Such common sense is being overturned.
According to the "habit" of driving
When a manufacturer develops new software and updates a user's car, its functions are basically uniform, but development is now progressing with an eye on the future.
This is a customized service that updates the functions of the steering wheel, brakes, and accelerator "according to the characteristics of individual drivers."
It is Toyota Motor Corporation that promotes this development.
In July, I heard that a demonstration experiment will be held at a circuit in Aichi prefecture, and I participated in it as an interview.
"Please ride this car and drive as instructed." In the
experiment, first ride the prepared car and
drive
on the circuit course.
It is a measurement of physical function to grasp the characteristics of my driving.
Sudden braking after speeding up with the accelerator fully open.
And zigzag running.
In the experiment, we will drive a little extreme so that we can easily grasp the features.
During that time, we will collect detailed data such as acceleration, deceleration, and the state of the curve.
Next, the person in charge heard what he felt while driving.
This is, so to speak, an interview.
"How was it?"
"The response of the steering wheel is rather slow or light ..." (reporter)
Through these measurements and hearings, I found that the steering wheel was turned a little shallower than a typical driver.
And finally, it's time to update.
I asked them to make the steering wheel move a little heavier so that the car would bend firmly even if the steering wheel was turned a little, but no tools were required.
Connect the car and the computer and rewrite the software by inputting the numerical values.
The work was done in just a few minutes.
Update to safe driving
Updates tailored to individual drivers.
Not only the steering wheel, but also the acceleration performance, engine output control, and the balance of driving force between the front and rear wheels are supposed to be changed.
From next year onward, Toyota will first offer this service with a "subscription" that allows new cars to be used for a fixed monthly fee, and in the future, Toyota plans to introduce it to new cars sold by itself.
If you customize the update individually, it will lead to safe driving.
With this in mind, Toyota is one step ahead.
Will the choice of car change?
Until now, car manufacturing has been a hardware-centered development in which about 30,000 parts are precisely assembled.
However, now that the number of automatic driving (driving support) functions is increasing and the electrification of cars is progressing, it is said that we are in an era where the superiority or inferiority of software, not hardware, is directly linked to the difference in the performance of the car itself.
Shinya Kodera, president of "KINTO", which handles Toyota car subscription services, points out that new competition has begun.
"KINTO" President Shinya Kodera
"It is an undeniable fact that the center of car making is shifting from hardware to software development, so I think it is a competition for technological development. It would be safer and more fuel-efficient to build a car that suits each driver's habits, personalities, and characteristics. "
In the future, we users may choose a car based on how many update services are available to enhance the functionality of these software.
It may be a new source of revenue for manufacturers as well.
Tesla, mentioned at the beginning, charges for updates for some features.
From now on, "If you pay a fixed fee, you can update as much as you want!
] May come out.
It is not "buy it and end" or "sell it and end".
Updates, which manufacturers are paying attention to and are the main battlefield of new competition, are likely to change the way we enjoy cars.
Hiroaki Tsuboi,
Reporter, Economic Department
Joined in
2013
After working at the Hiroshima Bureau, he
was in charge of the
incumbent
automobile industry.