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OTA software update , does it work ?

Mr_Frenchy

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Don't have my Turbo yet, expected end of Jan.

I was wondering if Porsche has managed to perform any OTA software update on the Macan yet ? Or do we still need to go to the dealer to get a software update 😕
Clearly still few bugs to fix and improvements to make, OTA capabilities would be useful.
 

daveo4EV

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Don't have my Turbo yet, expected end of Jan.

I was wondering if Porsche has managed to perform any OTA software update on the Macan yet ? Or do we still need to go to the dealer to get a software update 😕
Clearly still few bugs to fix and improvements to make, OTA capabilities would be useful.
:CWL:
 

Fleming23

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Allegedly, the big software delay at launch was to enable OTA. That said, I’m not aware of any software that has been pushed to vehicles.
 

byebye

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I saw mention of at least two updates hitting vehicles in the UK.
I don’t think it was actually OTA updates (of the firmwareS and/or the PCM).
There were 2 map database updates In Europe (Eur_15 and Eur_16).
 
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Mr_Frenchy

Mr_Frenchy

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OTA Map update is already available on ICE (under subscription) but I can t believe Porsche still did not perform any software update over the air. We are in 2024 😕 - they ve done million of kilometers to validate the Macam ev but "forgot" to have a stable/mature bootloader on release date... EV are computers on wheels!
 

ColdCase

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My SA mentioned that the recent 2025s from the factory have version 2.1 software, which includes OTA. Those have not been in the wild more than a month or so. Not much time for OTA updates.
 

W1NGE

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Don't have my Turbo yet, expected end of Jan.

I was wondering if Porsche has managed to perform any OTA software update on the Macan yet ? Or do we still need to go to the dealer to get a software update 😕
Clearly still few bugs to fix and improvements to make, OTA capabilities would be useful.
You will get OTA for PCM updates for Maps, Calendar and basic / simple things (at a minimum as per any new Porsche these days) do not expect significant software updates (this has been a failure on the Taycan and problematic) - doubtful this was resolved for the Macan EV as full OTA is still not a thing on the J1.2 (MY25+) Taycan.

Instead expect campaigns (recalls or regular service intervals) where software patches will be applied when at the dealership.
 

Argelius

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I had two Teslas and the OTA updates were frequent and amazing. (I remember once many people were complaining that the font size for the outside temperature was too small -- BOOM! was fixed).

Since then I've had a Jaguar EV, a Cadillac EV and a Genesis EV, all of which promised OTA updates; none ever did.
 

W1NGE

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I had two Teslas and the OTA updates were frequent and amazing. (I remember once many people were complaining that the font size for the outside temperature was too small -- BOOM! was fixed).

Since then I've had a Jaguar EV, a Cadillac EV and a Genesis EV, all of which promised OTA updates; none ever did.
Don't buy a Porsche for software reasons (ever)!

Personally, for significant patches I'd rather have the car at the dealership - safety is more important to me - than relying on substandard software delivery and application. Porsche made a real mess of this with Taycan J1.1 leading to bricking cars (at dealerships) which I suspect was close to the final straw.

Tesla excel at doing it properly as their architecture and supply chain (OEMs) are quite different - Porsche is a mishmash of suppliers and no standards. No doubt this will be addressed (people lost their jobs over it) but I'm in no rush for it.
 

LivingTheDream

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I think it’s important to note here that the software stack for the Macan EV (Android based) is new and completely different from the Taycan. There’s no doubt that Porsche is still working to get their software act together, but I’m not setting my expectations for the Macan based on what people experienced with the Taycan. I’m hoping this new stack will bring improvements, startup pains that people on this forum have experienced notwithstanding. YMMV
 

ColdCase

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I had two Teslas and the OTA updates were frequent and amazing. (I remember once many people were complaining that the font size for the outside temperature was too small -- BOOM! was fixed).

Since then I've had a Jaguar EV, a Cadillac EV and a Genesis EV, all of which promised OTA updates; none ever did.
Tesla's business model was to skip the expensive final development and test phase and let the consumer help find the bugs. Essentially unpaid test engineers :)There have been a lot of bugs. They don't develop good software but have millions of humans using the system and suggesting improvements to the human-machine interface. That interface layer is decent and folks tend not to look past it to the ugly stuff.

In order to achieve that model efficiently, they needed to deliver essentially a development platform to the consumer that could easily be updated (and fixed) and invest in all that overhead and risk of OTA code. They needed to deliver systems that were not easily bricked by corruption and could be managed by everyday drivers. They also needed something more reliable than cell service.

It seems to have worked as their buyers embraced being test rats and Tesla marketing reeled them in. The side no one talks much about is just how easy it is for practical jokers to hack in and cause the cars to do funny things. Something other manufactures take much more seriously than Tesla. I'd hate for my car to one day just drive off to a chop shop.

In the engineering models other manufactures use, it doesn't make much sense to take the risk of OTA code as the car was not designed to be a development model. They prefer the safer method and deliver the update to dealers and let the update be done by a tech.

There is not much risk in things like map updates, or font changes, however.

It is more complicated of course, but OTA software/firmware code is risky (damage to components, liability).
 
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Argelius

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Tesla's business model was to skip the expensive final development and test phase and let the consumer help find the bugs. Essentially unpaid test engineers :)There have been a lot of bugs. They don't develop good software but have millions of humans using the system and suggesting improvements to the human-machine interface. That interface layer is decent and folks tend not to look past it to the ugly stuff.
On a side note, I'll never buy a Tesla again. Elon is a lunatic.
 

daveo4EV

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It seems to have worked as their buyers embraced being test rats and Tesla marketing reeled them in. The side no one talks much about is just how easy it is for practical jokers to hack in and cause the cars to do funny things.
evidence?

to date Tesla at annual hack-a-thons has been dramatically more secure that competing automotive platforms…
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