Getting software updates for a car AT ALL is _really_ impressive.

Yes, they update the maps every now and then when you take it to the service and when they remember to plug the laptop in for the map update. But an actual update that adds new features is next to unheard-of.

Actual new features beyond map updates for a 10+ year old car? Never been done before by any brand ever.

But does your ten-year-old car have an internet-connected computer that is potentially vulnerable to malicious attackers? Note that I don't drive and know very little about cars, but my understanding was that Tesla's system was the kind of computer where software updates would be essential, and other cars less so.

(I generally think the "all out-of-date devices must be burned" mantra is a tad overblown, but they are at least somewhat dangerous in a way that non-networked computers are not.)

Teslas are essentially computers with cars built around them.

Traditional have cars and they are trying to shove computers into them.

The traditional model of upgrading infotainment software has been "lol, buy a new car" for a good quarter of a century now. But now Tesla is changing the expectations with Joe mode and Dog mode starting as someone requesting stuff from Elon and the feature appearing OTA in a matter of weeks.

Dog Mode, is still a rarity in EVs for some reason. It's a dead simple feature: "allow the heating/ac to work while car is locked, optionally display internal temperature on infotainment display so that people don't break the windows to 'rescue' the dogs".

The few that have it (Polestar and Mercedes I think) limit the usage to max 30 minutes.

All other things being equal, there's nothing wrong with trying to shove computers into a car.

Trouble starts when the computer is networked and therefore vulnerable to more attacks. And for networked computers, security updates are table stakes. Feature updates are merely nice.

To compare apples to apples, you need to compare Tesla to another brand of networked cars.

I have a Toyota RAV4 that is networked and this is a sad joke.

Toyota lives in the 90's from a cyber technology perspective. It is so bad that I wonder how the engineers who work there can say to themselves "I did something great".

I do not know other cars but I guess this is similar.

> All other things being equal, there's nothing wrong with trying to shove computers into a car.

I think that's preferable. That Teslas are "computers with a car built around them" that phone home to the mothership and get automatic updates is the main reason why I will never buy a Tesla.

> "The few that have it (Polestar and Mercedes I think) limit the usage to max 30 minutes."

Huh? So what happens after 30 minutes? The car heats up and the dog cooks?!

The AC just stops. I think some brands send you a notification on your phone.

There are no technical reasons not to have the ac/heating run longer, they just decided to cap it to an arbitrary 30 minutes.

>Getting software updates for a car AT ALL is _really_ impressive.

It doesn't sound impressive so much as excessive and dangerous. I would not want to purchase a car, which drives at high speeds on the road, the functionality of which depends on regular software updates from a company. I want a car that runs, won't kill me, and is easily and cheaply repairable. As far as I can tell, Teslas don't satisfy any of those concerns even if you spend a lot of money to service them.

Even the juicero couldn't kill you because of a software error...Tesla increasingly seems to me to be a piece of Silicon Valley fluff, and a dangerous one at that.

It is when you consider that not even google has accomplished this with android.

To put it in perspective, a new car typically has a 3-5 year warranty while a new phone has a one year warranty (unless the local law requires a longer warranty).

btw Android is not an end product like a car and Google doesn't really "provide updates" for Android phones, but I'll let they pass.

They do for Pixel phones, only 3 years iirc

Android vs. a 3 ton vehicle?

The only impressive thing about Google’s work with Android updates is they have convinced many people dropping support for a computer in less than two years is an acceptable behavior.

I don’t think there are many other car brands who provide regular software updates for their 2012 models.

Most cars from 2012 don't NEED regular software updates.

What does the all-caps “need” even mean in this sentence?

Most cars don't get functional software updates at all, save for a situation that would otherwise warrant a recall.