Ford Using OTA Update To Add Android Auto & Apple CarPlay To Sync 3 Outfitted 2016 Vehicles

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Following in Tesla’s footsteps (quite a few years later, that is), Ford will now begin rolling out some of its software upgrades via over-the-air updates — starting with the addition of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to its Sync 3 outfitted 2016 vehicles in the coming days.

While the over-the-air (OTA) update that Ford will be rolling out isn’t related to anything other than infotainment (it doesn’t concern the vehicles’ operating systems), it does presumably represent the beginning of a wider adoption of the approach by the company.

And it is thus worth covering here at CleanTechnica, as it means that it may well be the case in the coming years that when an important software update or patch is needed, it can be done via an OTA update — rather than forcing all of the vehicle owners in question to bring theirs to a service center.

Reuters provides more: “After Tesla Inc’s early lead in 2015 introducing OTAs, traditional automakers are slowly beginning to embrace the new technology, within limits. Concerns about security and resistance from dealers worried about losing service revenue have hampered its adoption. … Customers can also get the update via the traditional means of visiting their dealer or using a USB drive, Ford said. … Ford’s first use of OTAs comes about two months after it said it would hire 400 engineers to work on connectivity, mostly from Blackberry Ltd’s shuttered phone handset business. Blackberry QNX powers Ford’s Sync 3 system.”

We can probably safely expect to see more and more auto manufacturers begin using OTA updates over the coming months and years.

Related:

Over 2,000 EV Drivers From 28 Countries Tell Us What They Require & Desire — CleanTechnica’s 2nd EV Report!

Over-the-Air Updates Prove Their Value In New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive Recall

Importance of Tesla Superchargers, Battery Upgrades, Electric Car Benefits… (My EV Summit Presentation)


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James Ayre

James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.

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