Volkswagen makes its electric cars smarter and autonomous with its OS 3.0

After having experienced many setbacks with its software, Volkswagen intends to use it to take its ID range to a higher level. The German manufacturer will deploy version 3.0 of its OS, an update that gives its vehicles new capabilities and improves their charging power.
Indeed, the history of ID software has not always been smooth sailing. It is precisely its many bugs that are the cause of the delay in the marketing of the ID.3. Since then, VW has corrected the situation. Now, the manufacturer wants to make the software a real selling point, rather than a bad memory of youth. To achieve this, updates are essential and the first major one is none other than 3.0 currently being deployed.

Even more independent

Above all, it adds new driving aids. This is particularly the case of Travel Assist, which is evolving and which is now able to exchange information with other vehicles equipped with the same software (at VW, but also at Seat and Skoda). In other words, to the simple change of lane, Volkswagen adds a function of analysis of the traffic and the marking on the ground, in order to carry out natural automatic lane changes up to 90 km/h.
The other major innovation in terms of driving aids concerns parking. Vehicles equipped with version 3.0 will be able to search for a parking space on their own, up to 40 km/h and perform the appropriate manoeuvre.
But it is also possible to teach the vehicle the desired maneuver, within the limit of a radius of 50 m and a maximum speed of 40 km/h. From then on, the ID.3 or ID.4 concerned by this lesson will be able to park independently in the chosen space (up to five lessons can be stored in memory), provided of course that the owner oversees the maneuver.

Better battery management

The other major aspect of this software update concerns the battery and more generally autonomy. The first improvement is quite crude, and consists of increasing the car’s fast charging capacity. It was limited to 125 kW in direct current, it now goes to 135 kW on the 77 kWh battery.
Finally, better battery management also involves optimized charging cycles. On this point, VW has chosen to develop its route planner.

In fact, by entrusting the navigation to the vehicle’s software, the latter is no longer satisfied with indicating the ideal charging location, it also launches the conditioning of the battery when approaching the terminal so that when charging recharge it is at the right temperature. Therefore, the peak load is reached more quickly and the recharging time is reduced.

Finally, version 3.0 of the ID software also brings two other features to the cabin. Volkswagen says its voice command has been improved and its “Bonjour ID. » is now more ” clever “. The same goes for the augmented reality head-up display, which would display new symbols and clearer indications for the driver.

Of course, all of these new features need to be tested, which we will probably have the opportunity to do very soon. And for good reason, all vehicles in the ID range are eligible for the new software version. The models soon to be delivered will be equipped with it as soon as they leave the factory, as for those who are currently driving, it will be necessary to go through the updated box of the softwarewhich is always done via a wireless connection.