Shanghai (Gasgoo)-On Nov. 30, NIO officially launched the latest version of its in-car operating system, the NIO OS 2.8.0, which will be introduced to the ES6s, the ES8s and the EC6s through FOTA (firmware-over-the-air), the startup said via its WeChat account.

Upon completion of the FOTA, such features as automatic door-locks and memory front passenger seat will be newly added to vehicles. Besides, the NIO OS 2.8.0 will feature upgrades in the performance of network connections and charging port illumination.

Photo credit: NIO

The company said it is the world's first automaker to realize vehicle FOTA updates at scale leveraging fully self-developed technologies. As of Nov. 30, 2020, NIO shipped a total of 43 firmware iterations covering 4 different models, namely two generations of the ES8, the ES6 and the EC6.

According to NIO, these FOTA updates introduced 136 new features and 289 optimizations, bringing up to 425 improvements to NIO’s fleet.

The updatable functions cover many system-level functional domains, such as powertrain system, chassis & suspension, driver assistant, body control and infotainment. The company said NIO's FOTA can support the updates of up to 35 electronic control units of a vehicle.

The latest major update shipped in mid-Oct came with the Navigate on Pilot (NOP), which allows the vehicle to drive on and off ramp ramp, overtake, merge lanes and cruise according to planned routes. The function can be improved based on China's specific road and traffic conditions.

As of now, NIO has tested the mapping coverage and the stability of its NOP function in 30 plus cities in China with its fleet driving over 300,000 kilometers.