Volkswagen has a protracted and storied custom of constructing world-class autos. Whereas they’ve managed to make a legacy off of providing reasonably priced, trendy, and effectively-performing fashions for 84 years, their subsequent large problem comes within the tall activity of making and engineering electrical autos which can be purposeful. Whereas this appears like a simple activity for the legendary German automobile firm, it has encountered a number of issues over the course of its MEB platform’s growth. The narrative of the issue fixing has modified a number of occasions up to now yr.
The software program points for Volkswagen have been evident because the preliminary growth of the ID. household of autos. Now, Volkswagen has been comparatively clear concerning the problems with its software program up to now. Lately, there was a pattern, nevertheless, in how the corporate’s software program challenge is being portrayed as a result of for some time, Volkswagen was pawning off its software program as “fastened.” It’s apparent this isn’t the case.
Yesterday, a report got here out that indicated CEO Herbert Diess was interested in keeping the software fixes in-house and that he wasn’t all for having another firm, whether or not it’s one other automaker or a tech firm, repair the problems they had been encountering. It doesn’t look like a fantastic concept to push the software program issues onto one other firm, particularly if Volkswagen makes an attempt to set the precedent that it’s a chief in electrical powertrains and EV manufacturing. The one actual option to set up any kind of narrative that proves your worthiness on this sector is to resolve issues your self, it appears. If Tesla had given its software program points early on to Apple or Microsoft, for instance, to repair, you’ll be able to guess they wouldn’t be checked out as some automotive marvel. They’d simply be one other firm on the market making an attempt to ascertain a presence in a shortly rising discipline of EV rivals. The vertical integration that Tesla has been capable of show, by way of not solely its {hardware} but additionally by way of its growth of software program. The entire experience in software program particularly is advantageous within the occasion of Software program Updates being rolled out in an Over-the-Air vogue as Tesla does. When even the smallest bug or difficulty is revealed within the coding, engineers can shortly remedy the issue and roll out a brand new replace in a matter of minutes.
Diess is correct, it’s completely crucial that Volkswagen solves these points in-house. Nevertheless, there must be extra consistency within the story that’s being portrayed, for my part. For the previous yr, we’ve heard that Volkswagen has admitted Tesla has a 10-year advantage, then the ID.3 software program points had been worse than initially reported, then that software program was so dangerous it had moved onto different autos.
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Then, swiftly, Volkswagen immediately made Markus Duesmann, the ICE-supportive CEO of Audi, the person responsible for solving the software issues. Lastly, the corporate got here out in December and claimed that it had overcome all of the issues it had with the ID. family’s software.
All of it looks as if a plan to save lots of face, and it must be. Volkswagen has held this popularity for years for making high quality fuel automobiles. Aside from the Dieselgate scandal, which inevitably tarnished the popularity of the corporate, Volkswagen has accomplished a fairly good job of making automobiles which can be reliable. My first automobile was a Volkswagen with 198,000 miles on it. It was reliable, and I used to be unhappy to see it go once I lastly needed to say goodbye.
Nevertheless, it’s fairly alarming to see that Volkswagen continues to be years away from fixing these points. For a yr, there have been so many various narratives concerning the corporate’s software program, and it looks as if a trigger that maybe simply wants extra time. There is no such thing as a doubt on the planet that they’ll determine it out finally, however is it value preserving the religion for 5 or ten extra years? Is it value ready till 2025, 2030, and even longer to have efficient electrical car software program simply to say “We developed it ourselves!”
It looks as if the massive difficulty coming to fruition now could be the truth that Volkswagen has set one other narrative ahead that it will likely be able to ship software program updates this Summer season. All I’ve to say is, the electrical car neighborhood has a fantastic reminiscence, they’re very unforgiving, and so they don’t need to hear excuses. If Volkswagen can not work out a option to develop efficient software program for its autos by the Summer season, roll out OTA updates, and supply proof that its autos are value a rattling, it could be time to contemplate different choices.
Diess has a fantastic relationship with Elon Musk, and it might not be too late to contemplate searching for assist from Tesla on this sense. I don’t assume it might be the worst factor on the planet to have a man who’s your buddy and the CEO of essentially the most profitable EV firm on the planet assist your organization remedy some points. Volkswagen would achieve loads of credibility with Tesla’s software program infrastructure if it chooses to go that manner. I hope they’ll one way or the other remedy the problems in-house, however I’m extra liable to imagine that if issues don’t come round this Summer season like VW has promised with the OTA updates, it will likely be a foul look as soon as once more, and VW might stay the laughing inventory of the EV trade.
“If we need to retain our independence, we’ve to have the ability to develop the software program within the automobile ourselves. That is the one manner for us to ensure long-term success,” Diess mentioned. Is {that a} hill VW is keen to die on?
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