Key points:
- After 15 July 2026, a software update becomes mandatory for certain VDO DTCO 1381 4.1 tachographs.
- One manufacturer has made access to the required software conditional on buying a paid voucher.
- Stoneridge Electronics says it will cover the cost of the required updates for its devices.
- IRU is calling for uniform EU-wide rules on who pays for mandatory security patches.
- Poland’s TLP is demanding free updates, refunds of fees already charged, and coverage of additional workshop labour linked to the patching work.
Fleet operators are still absorbing the costs of meeting Mobility Package requirements, with tachographs among the biggest items of spending. Another obligation is now emerging: software updates designed to close security gaps identified in tachographs that had already been type-approved and placed on the market.
The debate is not about whether the patches should be installed. The dispute centres on who should pay to address vulnerabilities identified only after the devices were sold and installed.
The Commission points to mandatory updates
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has published a list of required software updates for selected second-generation smart tachographs (G2V2).
The updates address security vulnerabilities and are linked to actions taken under Article 20(4) of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014.
Information released by VDO/AUMOVIO and Stoneridge Electronics indicates that workshops are expected to incorporate the requirement into periodic inspections.
From 15 July 2026, VDO DTCO 1381 4.1 tachographs running software version 4126 should be updated to version 4141/4.1b.
From 1 September 2026, the obligation will also apply to Stoneridge SE5000-8.1 units in versions B, C, D and E that use SWID 1214 or 1619. These devices should be updated to version F or later, including SWID 2424, 2525 or 2626.
The update is to be carried out at the next legally required calibration — for example, the two-year calibration or after a tyre size change.
Two manufacturers, two different approaches to funding
Manufacturers are taking different approaches to who should bear the cost of the mandated patches.
Stoneridge Electronics says it will cover the cost of security updates for its devices. Continental, now operating as AUMOVIO, has introduced a voucher system, passing the cost on to carriers.
The split has prompted intervention from the International Road Transport Union (IRU). The organisation argues that operators bought type-approved devices that met the technical requirements in force at the time of purchase.
In IRU’s view, addressing cybersecurity weaknesses identified after market launch should remain the responsibility of manufacturers.
As a matter of principle, IRU considers that road transport operators, as end users of devices that have already been type-approved and placed on the market, should not bear the cost of mandatory updates addressing security-related issues identified after type-approval, emphasises Raluca Marian, IRU director of EU advocacy.
IRU adds that the different approaches taken by manufacturers suggest that charging users is not an unavoidable consequence of EU rules.
IRU calls for EU-wide consistency
IRU is urging harmonised rules for mandatory tachograph updates across all European Union member states.
The organisation warns that companies performing the same transport work can face different costs depending on which tachograph brand is installed in the vehicle.
It points to other industries, where manufacturers typically bear the cost of addressing cybersecurity risks in their products.
Without common principles for allocating responsibility, operators using different tachograph brands may not be treated equally.
IRU also notes that as devices become more digital, security updates may be needed more frequently — and unclear rules make it harder for businesses to forecast operating costs.
Polish transport group pushes for free updates
Poland’s Transport i Logistyka Polska (TLP) has also challenged the paid voucher model, sending a formal demand to the management of the relevant company within the AUMOVIO group.
TLP is calling for immediate, free access to the update for all DTCO 1381 4.1 devices.
Carriers bought these tachographs as compliant with EU law. The mandatory patch removes a vulnerability in a product placed on the market by the manufacturer. The user cannot be forced to pay again to maintain compliance — which was a core feature of the device they purchased, says Maciej Wroński, president of TLP.
The association is also asking for:
- A refund process for fees already collected, along with clear communication to workshops and users.
- Coverage of reasonable additional workshop labour costs arising solely from addressing the vulnerability.
- Timely, unrestricted access for workshops to software, codes, tools and technical support.
- Written confirmation that the update will not be made conditional on buying an extra product, package or service.
- Transparency on how voucher prices are set, who collects the fee, and the legal and contractual basis for charging users.
- A single, EU-wide notice explaining the update rules, cost settlement and the complaints procedure.
TLP has also prepared guidance for members to help protect potential future reimbursement claims. Carriers have been provided with a form to document cases where they are charged for the update.
If our demand to AUMOVIO proves ineffective, we have prepared further formal legal steps to protect the interests of our transport members, TLP’s president says.
Additional costs after recent tachograph replacement deadlines
The dispute has emerged shortly after further stages of the mandatory tachograph replacement programme in international transport.
From 1 July 2026, second-generation smart tachographs are also required in vehicles with a permissible gross weight between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes used in international commercial carriage of goods and cabotage.
As a result, update-related costs may affect not only truck fleets, but also operators running lighter vehicles.
Industry organisations stress that businesses are already spending significant sums to roll out technologies required by EU rules. Additional, hard-to-predict fees complicate planning and increase fleet operating costs.
