BMW has revealed its current models will be software upgradeable over the air and customers will be able to enabled or disabled features from the comfort of their own homes.
During a recent VR presentation that was streamed online from Germany, BMW detailed a host of digital upgrades available for its vehicles. Things became particularly interesting when the automaker said it will turn many options into software services.
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For example, models may leave the factory with all the hardware required for things like adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, and even heated seats with customers then having the option to enable these features through the new My BMW app, CNET notes. Some over-the-air upgrades will be permanent while others will be temporary.
BMW didn’t specify which features will be temporary but mentioned periods ranging from three months to three years. In theory, this might mean you can enable heated seats during winter and then disable them over summer.
Enabling features through over-the-air software upgrades isn’t new in the industry and has been pioneered by Tesla. The most notable example is Autopilot. While all Tesla models leave the factory with the hardware needed for autonomous driving, customers need to pay $8,000 to enable the ‘Full Self-Driving’ software package.
Tesla has been the subject of controversy for disabling Autopilot features on used cars. However, BMW says that the upgraded features will apply to the car and not the user meaning that even when a car is sold, the selected features should be retained. It added that it is still working out all of the details for used cars.