The new approach to automotive recalls is feasible because the increasingly improved chip performance has contributed to many in-car advanced programs that boost auto performance and assist owners in increasing driving safety and convenience. A greater driving force is the evolution of the bandwidth of the network generations of mobile wireless communication. Thanks to the evolving bandwidth, the transmission or update of huge amounts of data for in-car programs is no longer limited to the use of wired transmission, and as a result, carmakers do not need to implement various projects at fixed service plants like before. Moreover, unlike gasoline cars, electric cars do not have the high heat and exhaust generated by the internal combustion engine, nor do they need to be equipped with starting, cooling, exhaust and lubrication systems, transmission or other mechanisms, so the number of parts for EVs is reduced by more than 40% compared to conventional vehicles, and the number of EV parts that need to be replaced or serviced on a regular basis is also significantly reduced. Conventional vehicles have to be serviced every 10,000 to 20,000 kilometers, while the interval is extended to 40,000 to 60,000 kilometers for electric vehicles. EV owners spend less time and money on vehicle service, and for EV manufacturers, efforts can be focused on smart driving and battery and performance improvements with the need to invest in after-sales service facilities out of the way. As in-car systems become more and more dependent on the in-car computer for more efficient control, software programs become more and more frequently updated or upgraded depending on time and place. Tesla even sells updates and upgrades to car owners through program downloads. It is something practically impossible for the auto industry to imagine happening 20 years ago.
In the process of a recall for inspection or repair, traditionally, carmakers must commission suppliers to prepare sufficient parts for the required correction and train field service personnel to meet potential requirements of government agencies and customers. The particularly tricky part, however, is to send recall information to the right car owners. The reason for this is the older the manufacture year of a car gets, the more times the car tends to be traded. Another hindrance is that as the car gets older, the owner is less willing to bring it back to the original factory for a service. The procedure and the number of times of sending notification letters to car owners are explicitly stipulated in writing. What's more, if owner notification letters are not sent prior to the due date, the government will directly notify the car owners by registered mail according to the data available in the system of the Department of Motor Vehicles, taking into account the protection of personal data, and the postage and other fees are paid by the carmaker. The recall procedure, although cumbersome, is meant to ensure the car user's rights and driving safety. Now that we are in the era of EVs, most required corrections can be made through OTA software updates.
Take the 2018 Tesla Model 3 4DR RWD, there are currently 12 recalls listed on the NHTSA website. In nine of the recalls, the remedy is an OTA software update. Only in three of the recalls is a factory visit required to correct or replace parts (incorrectly reassembled seat belt anchors, front seat belts not securely attached to the b-pillar, and rearview camera image not displaying). Let's compare Tesla with gasoline cars in terms of recalls. The 2018 Toyota Corolla 4DR FWD has three recalls listed on the NHTSA website, and all the three require a factory visit to correct or replace parts (inspecting and repairing air bags and seat belt pretensioners that may not deploy, replacing the fuel pump that may fail, and providing a corrected label for placement over the incorrect load carrying capacity label). In addition, the 2018 Honda Civic SI 4 DR FWD has four recalls listed on the NHTSA website, and all the four require a factory visit to inspect and correct or replace parts (replacing the fuel pump assembly that may fail, replacing the steering gearbox assembly because the magnet may not be properly secured, correcting the incorrect information in the owner's manual, and replacing the certification label that may contain random characters). As the above examples indicate, electric cars and gasoline cars vary greatly in recalls, from concerns to remedies.
EVs are gaining in popularity. The number of chips used in an EV is two to three times larger than that used in a traditional gasoline/diesel vehicle. Plus, EVs differ greatly from gasoline vehicles in the way of thinking about production and the arrangement of related parts. The Tesla Model Y, for example, uses the world's largest die-casting machine to integrate the underbody structure into a single piece, simplifying the original 70 casting parts into one and eliminating all welding procedures. There is no need to invest in robots that perform complicated tasks in the production process for the body, and the simplified production process not only saves time but also significantly improves production efficiency and manufacturing quality. That's how the four Tesla gigafactories that produce EVs reach an annual capacity of 1 million vehicles each. Such a massive capacity of one single factory is unimaginable to a traditional gasoline car factory. And with dramatic increases in chip computing performance and the increasing weight of AI, which has kindled a lot of discussions recently, in computer control systems for cars, perhaps in the foreseeable 5 to 10 years, as soon as the EV starts, the in-car virtual assistant will be able to report relevant information about the car directly to the driver. Problems that can be fixed by OTA updates will be fixed immediately, and the driver will be notified of the corrections and their effects afterward. If there are concerns that need to be addressed at the factory, an appointment can be scheduled, and the car can drive itself back to the factory for inspection and correction when the owner does not need the car. It will not even occupy a minute of the owner's time. This is probably a recall on cars we'd like to see in the future.
About the author - Kenny Liu
Graduated from Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Cheng Kung University in 1988, started his auto industry career since July 1990 after two year military service. Starting as a service engineer and a temp technician, product marketing specialist in Peugeot/ Daihatsu, marketing and dealer channel specialist in VW LCV from March 1992, then field manager in GM Taiwan from Feb. 1994, sales and service / parts head in Ford Lio-Ho from Sep. 1998 till retirement in May 2019. Kenny then started to work for JLR Taiwan as sales/service head and consultant/ lecturer. After that, he was invited to work at a Suzuki dealer of Taipei as the general manager until April 2022.