As vehicles have moved from being primarily mechanical systems, perhaps it is time to ask, where should a manufacturer’s responsibility extend over the lifetime of the vehicle when it comes to evolving software systems? Where can independent repair play a supportive role?
Should consumers be free to authorize an independent repair facility to augment, update or otherwise change a vehicle’s software without safety and cybersecurity oversight embodied in manufacturer processes? If so, where do the bounds of liability to the original equipment manufacturer or independent repair shop fall?
On the 2020 Massachusetts ballot, Question 1 is a referendum on how traditional independent automotive repair shops and aftermarket part suppliers are going to function as part of tomorrow’s automotive ecosystem. The ballot initiative aims to enact a law that opens connectivity to any vehicle-specific data “for the purposes of maintaining, diagnosing and repairing the motor vehicle.” The law would require that “access shall include the ability to send commands to in-vehicle components if needed for purposes of maintenance, diagnostics and repair.”
Read the article at Forbes.
