Software-Defined Vehicle

A software-defined vehicle (SDV) is one where the majority of its functions are controlled by software systems that can be updated over-the-air (OTA) or through service center connections. This allows manufacturers to add new features, fix bugs, or improve performance after the vehicle has been sold.

Software-defined vehicles represent a shift in how dealerships think about service revenue and customer relationships. As more features become subscription-based or software-enabled, dealers will need to understand how to advise customers on feature upgrades and manage OTA update schedules.