Rivian says “fat finger” caused software update to brick infotainment systems, physical servicing may be required::Today’s cars are more like computers on wheels, and even a seemingly routine software update can lead to unexpected consequences. Rivian unfortunately experienced a “fat finger” mishap with their latest software update, bricking infotainment systems […]
I don’t have to update my car in order to drive it. Sucks to be them
I thought the Rivian vehicles were still drivable? It was just the infotainment that’s impacted, no?
Imagine paying $90k for a vehicle and you can’t even turn on the radio.
That’s always going to be a problem for early adopters of new tech. Plus, since it’s automotive you’d run that risk with the first model year or two after a major redesign too.
If what Rivian has reported is true it’s not really a failing of the equipment but human error. That’s always going to be tough to account for, though there’s likely improvements to be made to their testing methodology before pushing to prod.
Congrats on having a nicer experience 2 out of the 365 days in a year. Bravo.
Ok man what if it’s an emergency. Here’s an example: My wife is in labour, but my car has to update so I can’t drive her to the hospital. Now I’ll have to pay a more than 2 grand ambulance ride since it was out of network.
Fortunately, you can still do that with a Rivian. From the article that no one read:
Speedometer, charging, backup cameras, locks, lights, wipers, and turn signals are all still functional with the 2023.42 error.
At least there’s a speedometer on a separate display.
On the Tesla Model Y there’s only one centre display for everything. I was on a road trip with someone in one and the display froze then automatically rebooted itself. Took a good 5 minutes.
Nothing happened thankfully and the car kept running, but it’s a scary experience when you’re driving 65-70 MPH on a highway. I was worried the car would refuse to continue driving and lock itself or something while it rebooted.
Considering I have a decent chance of getting a “Please wait – updating” message when trying to play a damn videogame nowadays, that’s not out of the realm of possibility.
At least with a tesla you have to manually confirm the update, and can cancel out of it for 2 minutes after doing so. If something happens between then and 15 minutes later then i guess you’re fucked, but with the amount of control you have this really should never be a problem.
You are inconsistent. If you are going to adopt a luddite way of life, have her deliver at home not at the fancy high tech hospital where the computerized anesthesia machine might need to update before the c section incision is made.
If you were going to drive you’d get a taxi instead. I agree but just saying.
most taxis won’t cover medical emergencies
That’s fucked up.
I would think they would keep at least 1 of each model/trim of vehicle for testing these things. This leads me to believe one of the following:
- Too tight of deadlines
- Cheap management won’t pay for testing time or units
- Culture of pencil whipping
- A bad apple didn’t do their job, which should be caught by procedures
I got an offer for software engineering role at Rivian a few years ago. The pay was low.
That’s typical of the automotive industry, they don’t pay anyone reasonably, they treat the workers like shit, and then they get mad when the workers protest, unionize, or quit. This is how the automotive industry works from the top down, from the highest executive to the lowliest salesman.
Also from an IT/Development perspective, the money is usually meh, but also the technology is usually expected to be cutting edge, while on the backend they’re cutting corners and costs, thus undermining that “cutting edge” factor.
I think it’s more likely just typical dysfunctional software industry workflows. Companies that actually test their software adequately before deployment are the exception, not the norm. That’s different from what you said in your second bullet point because it’s not even an issue of cheapness, it’s an issue of not actually understanding what the best practices need to be.
I mean… those “typical dysfunctions” are what OP described. You’re just describing the general state of the industry, not providing further examples of disfunction.
No, the parent commenter attributed it to management not wanting to spend money. I’m attributing it to management being incompetent instead, which isn’t the same thing. Spending even unlimited amounts of money is not sufficient to fix what’s wrong.
¿Porque no los dos?
All of the above.
OTA updates are very much a double-edged sword.
Usually it’s good, but sometimes you get crap like this or when Tesla downgraded a bunch of Model S batteries when they saw they weren’t holding up as well as expected and wouldn’t line up with their battery warranty.
E: and it’s insane to me that cars don’t have snapshots of previously installed firmware/other software. Or like an A/B partition style thing where you can revert if an update goes bad.
Weird. My primitive old Samurai started right up this morning, and it’s “infotainment” system (bluetooth boombox bungee-corded to the floor behind the seats) still works.
Maybe if I’d paid $90,000 for it I could be privileged enough to have a broken functionality.
How are you replying from an i386 based pc running windows 3.11?
Slowly
