From carburettors to code: how software took over the car
Up until recently, cars were defined entirely by their engines and transmissions, but somewhere along the way, things changed. But before we get to that, icons such as the Volkswagen Beetle and the Toyota Corolla were built around engines, gearboxes, and mechanical reliability. What you bought was what you lived with, and visiting the dealership was only for a routine car service.
During that time, there were no fancy digital screens, electronics and software that needed regular updates, no downloadable features, and certainly no subscriptions. Somewhere between then and now, vehicles have become fixed-with-wheels computers, thanks to over-the-air updates, subscriptions that let owners unlock new features, and oftentimes, digital paywalls that hide capabilities. Somewhere along the way, cars changed, and it’s an interesting shift. One minute you’re pulling a choke and listening to the engine crank, where if you press the accelerator, a cable physically opens up a carburettor, and the next, you’re waiting for a software update so your heated seats can do their magic when the need arises.
What was once fixed at the factory can now be upgraded, improved or restricted with software. So when and why exactly did cars stop being purely machines and start becoming software platforms on wheels? For one, vehicles shifted to software because it’s easily scalable, but also the conventional way of fixing a glitch meant constant recalls, while with a software-first vehicle, fixes are as easy as parking in the garage and enabling an update. Tesla, for example, proved in 2012 that people loved the idea of their car getting better over time. Thanks to over-the-air updates, Tesla owners woke up to find their cars running more accurate range-projection software in the carmaker’s first large-scale remote software update. That said, customers started to look at cars without OTA as ‘obsolete’ the minute they left the dealership floor – a similar scenario to an old Nokia phone in a smartphone world.
The real turning point
The real pivotal point to where we are now came in the early 2010s (although the 70s saw early adaptations of Electronic Control Units) when manufacturers began designing cars around centralised software platforms rather than dozens of independent electronic control modules. Over-the-air updates became a core feature, marking the moment when vehicles were no longer finished products leaving the factory but evolving software-defined platforms. The other aspect is eliminating the cost of recalls, as these are expensive for car manufacturers. For example, if a manufacturer recalls 100,000 cars due to a software glitch, the cost can run into the hundreds of millions. Meanwhile, an OTA ‘recall’ can push a patch to an entire fleet simultaneously for a fraction of the cost, even before most owners even realise there was an issue with their car.
Then there’s the safety aspect; old cars weren’t connected to the internet, so they couldn’t be hacked remotely. Nowadays, with all the technology embedded into cars, they are essentially servers on wheels. For example, a car’s doors or braking systems can be vulnerable, and with an OTA, a manufacturer can patch them instantly, while safety systems can be tweaked remotely based on real-world data to make the cars safer.
Subscriptions, paywalls and the ownership question
When it comes to subscriptions, this is the part that I often dislike, but it’s a huge motivator for vehicle manufacturers. Cars are now built with all the hardware, such as heated seats and heated steering wheels, already inside, then the marque sells the software to turn them on later. Why, though? If the hardware is already fitted, shouldn’t the feature be included? From a consumer perspective, perhaps yes. From a business standpoint, however, it’s a different story. By doing that, manufacturers can charge monthly subscription fees, ensuring they keep making money from you long after you’ve paid for the car.
The same applies to locking features behind paywalls, often called Features-on-Demand (FoD), which is the most disliked trend in the car business today. The business model copies that of Silicon Valley giants Apple, Netflix and Spotify. The underlying motivation is clear: after selling you a car at sticker price, manufacturers typically receive little further financial income from customers beyond out-of-warranty services and maintenance. And by introducing subscription models, they create ongoing income streams long after the initial sale. Take BMW SA, for example, which, a couple of years ago, charged around R250 per month or R6,600 for unlimited access to its remote engine start feature. A good thing it stopped charging for heated seats in 2024 following global ridicule, and it admitted it was ‘not the best way’ to start a relationship with customers. However, it still charges for software-based features and instead offers heated seats and a steering wheel as optional equipment in a more traditional capacity.
While manufacturers position paywalls as a form of empowerment for second-hand buyers, in a price-sensitive market like SA, recurring digital fees may feel less like flexibility and more like an additional ownership tax on hardware that is already physically present. And that is where the debate becomes bigger than heated seats. Ownership itself has subtly changed. Traditionally, once you bought the car, everything within its in-built capabilities belonged to you.
Other manufacturers, such as Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, have experimented with technologies such as digital unlocks and subscription-style features overseas, with local cars likely to follow as connectivity and EV infrastructure improve. For some owners, being able to unlock features or receive software updates remotely can be incredibly convenient, particularly when a trip to the dealer is impractical. However, in parts of SA, mainly in remote areas, OTA updates and connected services can be slower or less reliable due to poor connectivity, and price sensitivity remains a strong factor in how such features are received.
The truth is that cars did not come to mostly rely on software overnight; it took years to get to where they are today. What began as electronic assistance for emissions and safety has matured into fully connected platforms capable of improving, adapting and, at times, monetising themselves long after leaving the showroom floor. For manufacturers, software offers efficiency, safety and new revenue streams. For customers, it offers convenience, innovation and ongoing updates, but also raises valid questions about cost, control and long-term ownership. Whether these changes are seen as positive progress or as excessive ultimately depends more on how manufacturers implement and manage the technology than on the technology itself.
