A Tale of Two Recalls: Tesla vs. Chevy Bolt
Tesla recently recalled almost all vehicles sold in the U.S., totaling over 2 million cars. But nobody has to bring their vehicles back, and the company didn’t spend a dime on swapping out physical components.
Welcome to the era of software-defined vehicles. Tesla beamed out a software update, and everything was fine and dandy again.
Compare this news story with the Chevy Bolt recall in 2021, which cost GM around $2 billion (LG, the battery supplier, paid GM $1.9 billion). At $14,000 per recalled vehicle, it’s one of the most expensive recalls on a per-vehicle basis.
Ouch.
As more vehicles, equipment, etc., go electric, more battery issues will arise, and more recalls will happen. Obviously, performing a recall/repair/upgrade over the air is exponentially less costly and cumbersome than a physical recall.
Plus, it’s all done without requiring end-users to lift a finger. They don’t even need to know it’s happening. You get happier customers, and your organization's reputation is less likely to be at stake.
To fix battery issues over the air, you need software-defined batteries (SDBs).
Of course, just like cars, batteries have hardware components we can’t fix with software. For example, we don’t know what went wrong with the Bolt’s battery, and we can’t say if SDBs could have helped avoid the recall.
But there are many things we can address through software. For example, when new data shows the maximum for a specific parameter should be lower, we can push out a software upgrade to adjust battery behaviors instead of requiring customers to bring in a vehicle or equipment and swap out an expensive battery (just thinking about it makes our head hurt.)
Life will be so much easier for everybody. Phew!
If overhauling an entire battery system seems daunting, we get it. But it’s not all or nothing.
Eat the elephant one bite at a time: We can help you find opportunities to experiment and innovate at a pace that aligns with your objectives and resources.
Learn more about our Battery Advisory Services to find your most cost-effective path to electrification.
