On 28 May 2026, the GSMA published the SGP.32 v1.3 technical specification, alongside the matching SGP.31 v1.3 architecture update. Yet much of the automotive eSIM market still talks in the language of v1.2.

That captures where SGP.32 stands: the standard and commercial market are advancing, but testing, documentation and cross-vendor proof are still catching up. For automakers, the question is whether the complete supplier stack is ready for vehicles that may remain on the road for 15 years.

The standard has moved

SGP.32 was created for IoT devices managed remotely, often without a screen, camera or user to scan a QR code. The GSMA released the first version in May 2023. Version 1.2 became the practical implementation and testing baseline, while v1.3 followed in May 2026.

The GSMA’s current specification table pairs SGP.32 v1.3 with v1.2 conformance documents. That helps explain why vendors may legitimately support the standard while referencing different versions.

Procurement teams therefore need more than a “supports SGP.32” box. They should ask which technical and test specifications were used, which components completed conformance testing and what the supplier’s v1.3 roadmap covers.

Commercial delivery has begun

Kigen introduced what it called the first market-ready eSIM IoT Remote Manager, or eIM, compliant with SGP.32 v1.2 in October 2024. Telenor IoT began commercial delivery of standardised SGP.32 SIMs on 17 April 2026. KORE and Kigen announced a joint portfolio that same month, with availability planned later in 2026.

READ MORE: Kigen Opens SGP.32 IoT eSIM Testing for Businesses

April also brought an important reality check. The IoT Stars community demonstrated remote profile changes across several devices and live connectivity profiles. That is meaningful progress, but it does not prove that every eUICC, eIM, SM-DP+ and module combination will work together without friction.

Interoperability remains something buyers should test, not assume.

What changes inside the vehicle

Under SGP.02, the Subscription Manager Secure Routing, or SM-SR, is selected early, creating a lasting dependency on one provisioning environment. Moving a vehicle between providers can require integration and cooperation between the parties.

SGP.32 simplifies the architecture. An eIM instructs the vehicle’s IoT Profile Assistant, or IPA, which obtains the required profile from an SM-DP+. There is no QR code and no driver action. An eIM can also be associated later in the device lifecycle, giving OEMs more control over future connectivity decisions.

As Cubic³ Senior SIM Engineering leader Julie Gibb explained in a Q&A with Thales:

“While earlier standards like SGP.02 enabled remote provisioning, they kept automakers tied to a single network operator, limiting flexibility.”

Localisation drives the case

Connected vehicles cross markets with different roaming, data and telecom rules. Brazil, India and Turkey are among the countries where permanent-roaming restrictions complicate a single global model. SGP.32 lets an OEM deploy one vehicle design and later download an appropriate local profile without physically touching the car.

But the standard is not a compliance passport. The profile, commercial arrangement, customer-identification process and data handling must still satisfy national requirements. SGP.32 enables localisation; it does not make every localisation lawful.

READ MORE: Remote SIM Provisioning: How eSIM Activation Works

Nor is it urgent for every programme. A domestic fleet with stable coverage, one long-term operator and no likely need to change profiles may gain little from adopting a more complex model today.

Mixed fleets are the real test

Automakers will not replace SGP.02 estates in one clean migration. Older vehicles will remain active while new models ship with SGP.32.

That makes orchestration more valuable than the acronym on the eSIM. OEM teams need one view across profile status, operator onboarding, policies, billing and diagnostics. Cubic³ Cloud addresses this mixed-fleet problem, managing M2M and IoT eSIM lifecycles across more than 550 networks and 200 countries.

Thales says many automotive proofs of concept favour IPAe, where the IPA resides on the eUICC, because it can reduce changes to the telematics control unit. IPAd, which places the function in the device, remains an alternative where greater device-side control is required.

The next value layer

Multiple Enabled Profiles are planned for SGP.32 v2. For vehicles, that could mean one profile for safety-critical telematics, another for infotainment and another for resilience if a network fails.

5G Standalone adds another reason to localise. Network slicing and quality-on-demand are closely tied to local 5G SA cores and remain difficult to reproduce consistently through roaming. Remote provisioning could therefore enable paid vehicle services, not simply reduce connectivity costs.

READ MORE: Soracom Targets Connected Cars With New IoT Platform

Before committing, OEMs should ask:

• Which SGP.32 and conformance-test versions have been implemented?
• Is the IPA on the eUICC or in the device, and what does that require from the TCU?
• Who controls the eIM, and can another eIM be associated later?
• How are SGP.02 and SGP.32 vehicles managed in one interface?
• Which countries have compliant local profiles—not merely roaming coverage?
• Which cross-vendor combinations have been tested in production-like conditions?

Conclusion

SGP.32 is becoming the preferred direction for new global vehicle platforms, but it is not a reason to discard proven SGP.02 deployments. The smarter strategy is coexistence.

The competitive market is already forming around that reality. Telenor IoT approaches SGP.32 through operator-led managed connectivity. Kigen and KORE are assembling a modular provisioning ecosystem. Eseye is promoting one orchestration layer across SGP.02, SGP.22 and SGP.32. Cubic³ differentiates through an automotive-specific platform designed to hide those differences from the team operating the fleet.

That direction matches Transforma Insights’ assessment that SGP.32 will strongly dominate future remote-SIM-provisioning shipments, while the eSIM orchestrator emerges as a distinct market role.

The winners will not be the suppliers that mention the newest specification first. They will be those that prove interoperability, localisation and lifecycle control without turning the automaker into its own telecom operator.