VW CEO Diess reportedly „worried“ about Tesla’s lead in over-the-air software updates

VW CEO Diess reportedly „worried“ about Tesla’s lead in over-the-air software updates

Berlin April 27, 2020

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess has admitted that Tesla has a significant head start on using over-the-air software updates over the competition in the auto industry. This was reported by „Automobilwoche“ as well as „electrec“ and „ecomento“.
The VW CEO emphasized that the use of software in his autopilot program was of greater importance for Tesla in Wolfsburg. What worries him most is “the capabilities of the assistance systems. 500,000 Tesla work like a neural network that continuously collects data and offers the customer a new driving experience with improved properties every 14 days. No other automobile manufacturer can do that today. ”

Tesla uses its large customer fleet of electric vehicles equipped with an extensive range of sensors to collect data and improve its driver assistance functions. Over 3 billion miles of autopilot data have already been collected.
Diess had internally admitted that Tesla’s leadership was causing him a „headache“. He admitted that customers seem to love Tesla’s deep software integration with features like using the phone to control the vehicle and building the user experience around a central screen in the car.
At Volkswagen, the newly founded car software organization should “implement the Tesla catch-up plan,” said the CEO of the Automobilwoche. The integration of high-performance software in new models presents the traditional group with far greater challenges than, for example, the electrification of the fleet. Tesla’s access to his electric cars without a key, the bundling of many functions on a central screen and the reduced design were well received. „Customers love it,“ said Diess. „It is clear that VW will follow suit at these points,“ said a confidante of the Volkswagen boss at the Automobilwoche.
The VW CEO also presented a graphic to his top managers. It showed that VW was rated half as high as Tesla – „and that despite our valuable brands like Porsche, Audi, VW, Bentley and the thers“, added Diess.
The CEO admitted that they still have a „long way“ to catch up with Tesla.