BMW has announced the biggest and most extensive upgrade in the company's history so far. More than 750,000 vehicles worldwide will receive the latest version of BMW Operating System 7. It is also the largest over-the-air update ever rolled out by a European manufacturer. The upgrade includes new, expanded and enhanced functions, such as BMW Maps, Google Android Auto and eDrive Zones. The new software version will be available to customers in Germany from 19 October and can be downloaded to vehicles directly over the air and installed free of charge. Customers will receive a push notification in their vehicle or via BMW App on their smartphone as soon as the upgrade is available. Following launch in the German market, it will be rolled out in stages across Europe, in the US, Canada, China and the remaining international markets.
Since BMW Operating System 7 was introduced in 2018, BMW drivers have been able to keep their vehicle up to date with the latest software by means of the Remote Software Upgrade. The new functions can be downloaded quickly and conveniently to the car over-the-air. Installation files are prepared in the vehicle in the background; once this is complete, it rarely takes more than 20 minutes for actual installation, even in the case of major upgrades.
Due to the situation with the coronavirus and its impact on availability of support capacity, rollout of the current upgrade may be delayed in individual markets.