Turmoil at VW: Porsches Postponed by Buggy Software Cost VW’s CEO His Job

[B61]

This happens in pretty much every industry. Garmin, for example, is notorious for this. Every new Garmin device that is released is pretty much crap for the first year, and then after 20-30 SW revisions eventually becomes a great product.

I’m just affraid that at some point, new version won’t be backward compatible with old hardware…so there won’t be any upgrade for MY20,21,22…

 

[npx]

“They should have head-hunted the best people from Silicon Valley,” Schmidt said. “You can’t lead on software with automotive people.”

I think this sentence says it all.

If you had or have an early VIN Taycan you acutely felt this with the numerous fixes, recalls, or updates. I do have to say that my new '22 CT4s feels light years a head of my early VIN Taycan in regards to the PCM, so I do have to give Porsche a little credit in making improvements.

as someone who works in Silicon Valley in software/hardware and worked in automotive before, the quote is so beyond true, and anyone who says otherwise is clueless.

frankly, and I rarely praise them, but only Tesla has figured that out, of any of the major players.

 

[tigerbalm]

I wonder if VW will ever consider working with Google and their Android-based software like the one in Polestar 2? From a personal experience, I found the Polestar 2 software much more robust and cleaner than my Taycan’s UI/UX.

Much more likely to be Microsoft. It is unclear (at least to me) is CARID's new VW.OS (operating system) and VW.AC (cloud) actually Microsoft tech or something different.

https://news.microsoft.com/2021/02/...elerate-the-development-of-automated-driving/

 

[daveo4EV]

https://apple.news/AQn3WzoruQSC-LYDw4HjVdg

Porsche is as good at software as Tesla is at mechanical engineering
Tesla is as good at Software as Porsche is at mechnical engineering

guess which one will matter more in the future.

Porsche makes a great car, but a mediocre EV
Tesla makes a great EV but a mediocre car

I still believe it would be easier for Tesla to up it's game on interiors and build quality (if it cared to do so) vs. VW/Audi/Porsche getting their heads around software…

this continues to play out…Tesla is a hard act to follow and it will take more than build quality

I'm in iceland right now and have been for the past week - sooooooo many Tesla's…electricity is basically free here…

 

[simcity]

The big challenges are unwinding years of engineering in components into the CANBUS and combining the hardware and engineering expertise with agile software development lifecycles. Newer OEMs (Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, etc.) have the advantage of working from a fresh starting point with their software stack.

Wasn’t Tesla really the first car manufacturer to buck the trend of lots of decentralised components (made by someone like Bosch or Continental or Valeo) with a thin amount of vehicle manufacturer customisation - then turn this model on its head and use a centralised/monolithic “in house” developed model with a handful of processing units rather than dozens of essentially outsourced hardware and software?

If the incumbents are still practicing the ways of the old world - then surely it will take them yet more years to catch up, let alone surpass the guys with the clean sheet designs.

 

[Archimedes]

Sales are down 16% in their biggest market (China) and down 10% in their second biggest market (USA) H1 2022:

https://performancedrive.com.au/porsche-sales-up-17-6-in-australia-in-h1-2022-global-down-5-2122/

That is having an impact on valuation, though in fairness practically everything is in freefall at the moment.

Again, market conditions. Global supply chain problems, looming recession, equity markets cratering. Nothing to do with the CEO or company execution. The software nonsense is being massively overstated because it makes good clickbait.

 

[daveo4EV]

from the Cardid website

“As an automotive software company with a global reach, it goes without saying that CARIAD is certified to ISO 9001:2015. This internationally recognized standard emphasizes our ability to consistently deliver high-quality products across our multiple locations. We combine the highest safety and security requirements with innovative development and the agile working methods typical of a software company – to exceed customer expectations.”

OMG - they are sooooo doomed - ISO 9001 and software - ROFL - that's supply chain physical component thinking - they are sooooo screwed - Tesla will continue to run circles around them.

 

[daveo4EV]

also note VW's software leadership company - can't keep their website functional - this is not a good look for a world class software effort - this will take YEARS to clean up - decades maybe.

Not the website - but the overall software approach - but when you see little details like this - and we know what the state of software for Taycan is - it's all adding up to they are in over their head - a buggy website doens't mean they suck - but again it's a not a good look…to have basic problems in simple stuff.

 

[mokre]

I’m just affraid that at some point, new version won’t be backward compatible with old hardware…so there won’t be any upgrade for MY20,21,22…

This has to happen eventually. You can't support old hardware forever, even Apple drops support for old hardware at some point. My expectation though is that by the time Porsche does move on from gen1 taycan hardware, the software will be in a good and reliable state.

On the topic of the article, I am not surprised this is the reason for Diess' ousting. We have all experienced the buggy software, and the huge lead times needed to fix it. I do think VW needs to put a software engineer, instead of a business manager, in charge of the software side.

 

[daveo4EV]

This has to happen eventually. You can't support old hardware forever, even Apple drops support for old hardware at some point. My expectation though is that by the time Porsche does move on from gen1 taycan hardware, the software will be in a good and reliable state.

On the topic of the article, I am not surprised this is the reason for Diess' ousting. We have all experienced the buggy software, and the huge lead times needed to fix it. I do think VW needs to put a software engineer, instead of a business manager, in charge of the software side.

the ID.4 software has some people upset very publically - apparenlty VW/Audi/Porsche are having trouble across the board…

 

[B61]

This has to happen eventually. You can't support old hardware forever, even Apple drops support for old hardware at some point. My expectation though is that by the time Porsche does move on from gen1 taycan hardware, the software will be in a good and reliable state.

On the topic of the article, I am not surprised this is the reason for Diess' ousting. We have all experienced the buggy software, and the huge lead times needed to fix it. I do think VW needs to put a software engineer, instead of a business manager, in charge of the software side.

I know…i’’ve been in software industry for almost 40 years.
i was just trying to say, that the value of gen1 Taycans will drop because of old, obsolete software, when time comes…

 

[mokre]

I know…i’’ve been in software industry for almost 40 years.
i was just trying to say, that the value of gen1 Taycans will drop because of old, obsolete software, when time comes…

Yeah, I agree, sorry I misunderstood what you meant.

I'm personally more worried about being on what is effectively gen 1 of mass BEV adoption. I think my car will lose more money to hardware obsolescence than anything else

 

[B61]

from the Cardid website



OMG - they are sooooo doomed - ISO 9001 and software - ROFL - that's supply chain physical component thinking - they are sooooo screwed - Tesla will continue to run circles around them.

Exactly my thoughts when i was browsing over their web.
but I do understand why they (proudly) pointed out ISO cert.
you see, in EU lawyers (with a lot od help of bureaucracy) simply took over all regulations.
therefore, software company has to fullfill zillions of requirements, some of them are even mutually contradictory… GDPR, EBA, ISO 27001, 9001, 14000…to name just a few….and certified IT auditors are nightmare for years….and we became “paper-pushers” instead to focus on software…..that’s why i’m more than happy that my retirement day is here…

 

[simcity]

This has to happen eventually. You can't support old hardware forever, even Apple drops support for old hardware at some point.

Tesla is now onto their 3rd generation of infotainment hardware, moving from nvidia initially to intel and now ryzen based MCUs. Self driving hardware has also evolved in the same timespan.

 

[Archimedes]

I dunno, I keep turning my car on everyday and it keeps getting me where I want to go quickly, quietly, and safely in comfort. I think some people just seem to need something to nerd out on and complain about. In the immortal words of Louis CK '...the phone doesn't suck. Your life sucks around the phone...'