Only weeks after the first deliveries of the BYD Atto 3 in Australia, the first over-the-air (OTA) update is rolling out to add new features.Ā
What does the first OTA update include and what do existing owners need to update?
BYD Atto 3 first software update gets maps and Spotify
The BYD Atto 3, like Tesla EVs, can receive OTA updates. Now, new owners in Australia and New Zealand are reporting receiving a notification to update their EVs.Ā
This is a new experience for many first-time EV owners but many of the new features it will bring have been highly anticipated.
The key features as part of this update include Maps for navigation, Spotify for music and other enhancements.
The first update takes about an hour to complete and requires the EV to have at least 20% state of charge. The update takes place in two phases in order to add all the new features.
These are features that were not included at the time The Driven test-drove this ground-up EV last month in Sydney.
Voice controls open windows, sunroof and turn-on aircon
Smarter voice controls to operate windows, sunroof and the aircon without having to touch the screen are other new key features.
Atto 3 owners will most likely welcome these as most cars on the roads currently donāt offer this functionality or ease of control of the vehicle.
The software update also features some minor enhancements to the air-con controls and to the way notifications are displayed in the EV.
BYD to add more features over coming months
EV ownership experience tends to be much more engaging for drivers and owners than for ICE cars. OTA updates like those seen in the thousands of Teslas and now BYD will continue to enhance the ownership experience.
BYDās first phased software update looks fairly promising. Importantly, it does not require taking the car back to dealership/experience centres. Owners are able to perform the update from home and many other locations with their Atto 3 parked.
RizĀ is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.