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Ford to Equip Vehicles with Remote Update Technology

Ford expects to deliver its first updates about six months after launching the first vehicles with the capability in 2020.

by Staff
November 6, 2019
Ford to Equip Vehicles with Remote Update Technology

Some updates will be virtually invisible to customers, enabled by an innovative platform that installs much of the new software in the background.

Photo via Ford.

2 min to read


In 2020, Ford will begin equipping most redesigned vehicles in the U.S. with advanced over-the-air update (OTA) technology, making it easy to wirelessly upgrade vehicles with quality, capability, and convenience updates that can help improve vehicles over time and reduce dealer trips.

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Ford expects to deliver its first updates about six months after launching the first vehicles with the capability in 2020. Other updates could add new features to your vehicle, just as when Ford added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility to SYNC 3 through USB and WiFi updates several years ago.

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Some updates will be virtually invisible to customers, enabled by an innovative platform that installs much of the new software in the background. This new platform keeps current software running until the new version is ready for activation.

Customers can select a regular time they are not using the vehicle to schedule updates their vehicle is off, meaning they may not even notice the installation occurred once they start their car. Most other updates can be activated in under two minutes, while any updates that may require the vehicle to be parked can be scheduled to take place when customers find it most convenient.

Customers can receive notifications detailing the software updates when they are available and can even opt in to have the updates applied automatically over Wi-Fi or cellular connections. In-vehicle alerts will then tell customers what updates were installed when they start the vehicle the next time.

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