Imagine having to go to a retail store or use a thumb drive just to upgrade the software on your smartphone or tablet. Soon, consumers may consider it just as outrageous to do the same when updating the software in their vehicles.

Like a smartphone, cars are increasingly defined by computer hardware and software. They’re quickly becoming a consumer’s largest electronic mobile device — a fact not lost on manufacturers who are racing to make over-the-air software updates standard.

By 2022, there will be 203 million vehicles on the road that can receive software over-the-air (SOTA) upgrades; among those vehicles, at least 22 million will also be able to get firmware upgrades, according to a new report by ABI Research.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here