OTA Update Tracker
Live software version tracking for Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid — plus EV recalls and update news.
What an OTA update actually changes
An over-the-air update is new vehicle software delivered wirelessly rather than at a service appointment. On a software-defined car that is not limited to the touchscreen: OTA releases have changed driver-assistance behaviour, charging curves, range estimation and ride settings. It is the clearest practical difference between an EV from Tesla, Rivian or Lucid and a conventional car, which largely stays as it left the factory.
Why a recall no longer always means a service visit
Of the 473 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns behind our EV reliability data, 76 — about 16% — are remedied by an over-the-air software update rather than a dealer visit. That changes how a recall count should be read: for a software-heavy brand a large share of "recalls" are downloads, while a legacy automaker's are more often parts and labour. Both are filed identically, so a raw recall tally is a poor reliability comparison.
Rollouts are staged
A version being released is not the same as a version reaching your car. All three manufacturers stage rollouts, often over weeks, and hold builds back by region, model year or hardware generation. The authoritative answer for your vehicle is the software screen in the car itself — Controls → Software on a Tesla, Settings → Software on a Rivian, and Settings → System on a Lucid.
Frequently asked questions
What is an over-the-air (OTA) update for a car?
An over-the-air update is new vehicle software delivered wirelessly, the way a phone updates itself, instead of requiring a service appointment. Depending on the manufacturer it can change anything from infotainment and navigation to driver-assistance behaviour, charging curves, and even suspension or braking calibration. Tesla, Rivian and Lucid all ship substantive OTA updates; most legacy automakers currently limit OTA to infotainment and map data.
Can a safety recall really be fixed over the air?
Yes. Of the 473 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns in the data behind our EV reliability pages, 76 — about 16% — are remedied by an over-the-air software update rather than a dealer visit. That is a real shift, and it also means a raw recall count is a poor reliability comparison: for a software-heavy brand a large share of "recalls" are downloads, while a legacy automaker's are more often parts and labour. Both are filed identically.
Why does this tracker only cover Tesla, Rivian and Lucid?
Because those three publish versioned, feature-bearing OTA releases that owners actually track, with a public record to follow. Most other automakers push OTA updates silently, without release notes or a version scheme a reader could look up — there is nothing meaningful to track. If that changes, the tracker will widen.
How do I know which software version my car is on?
In a Tesla, Controls → Software. In a Rivian, Settings → Software. In a Lucid, the centre display under Settings → System. The version your car reports is the authoritative answer — a tracker like this one shows what is rolling out across the fleet, and rollouts are staged, so a version being released does not mean it has reached your vehicle yet.
Do OTA updates ever remove features or reduce range?
It has happened. Updates have adjusted charging curves, changed driver-assistance behaviour and altered how range is estimated. That is the trade-off of a car that changes after you buy it: most updates add value, but the manufacturer can also change behaviour you were used to. This is worth knowing before you buy — it is a genuine difference between a software-defined vehicle and a conventional one.