Amazon's 'Alexa' is the Automotive Life Partner You've Apparently Been Missing

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Amazon’s Echo is a voice-operated smart device for your residence that, despite being notably gimmicky, has become increasingly popular with geeky homeowners. You can ask it for the weather, to read you a book, request a certain song, buy things for you online, adjust the thermostat, dim the lights, or schedule your calendar. My father has one and, because the device represents itself through a pleasant-sounding female voice calling itself Alexa, my mother refers to it as “his second wife.”

Soon, Alexa and the associated Echo technology will be available on Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and BMW branded automobiles. The new feature should offer a catalog of in-car commands and can be set-up to work in tandem with a home device to do things like flip on the the lights prior to pulling into the driveway. While this might not drastically enhance your quality of living, it will feel incredibly futuristic for about two weeks.

While the other automakers are introducing Alexa through application networks synced through a driver’s smartphone, Automotive News says VW plans to have the technology integrated into the car directly and won’t require a second device. That removes set-up headaches and offers additional functionality between the home and device, which could theoretically unlock car doors or remind you that you’ll need to get gas soon.

However, Ford claims smartphone users will see the same broad functionality when Alexa is implemented in its vehicles. Using the Amazon Echo or Dot at home, owners can make requests like “Alexa, ask my FordMobile to start my car,” or “Alexa, ask my FordMobile to check my fuel range.”

Using artificial intelligence, Amazon’s system is intended to become progressively familiar with users’ preferences, too. This means the car should learn the routes you like to take and use it to help better curate its navigation choices. Of course, the biggest benefit — outside of being able to show it off — is the added safety provided by not having to interact with fiddly touch-controls as often while driving.

“Volkswagen and Amazon share a common vision around voice as the future, it’s a safe and natural way for us to interact with the vehicle,” said John Scumniotales, general manager for Amazon Alexa Automotive.

As far as when the devices will start appearing in Volkswagen’s cars, the company hasn’t said and is referring to the technology as being “under development.” That said, it’s unlikely you’ll have to wait too long. Ford has stated that Alexa should start becoming available on some SYNC3-equipped vehicles this summer and Hyundai already has the technology available on its Blue Link connected cars.

[Image: Ford Motor Co.]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Beerboy12 Beerboy12 on Jan 21, 2017

    The Parlotones! Excellent band, love them.

  • Eyeflyistheeye Eyeflyistheeye on Jan 21, 2017

    As someone who was previously involved in a subcontractor for Amazon, watching the condition of the managers who worked for Amazon and the fact that Amazon's logistics kept repeatedly changing the terms of our partnership swore me off of buying anything from them for the rest of my life. Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon are all untrustworthy. But Amazon is a wealthy autistic child of a company that thrives to squeeze their business partners and employees for all they're worth and then some so they can throw money at whatever idea they have this quarter, good or bad. Hopefully, this is another flavor-of-the-month thing supported via app like Aha Radio or Spotify integration (Bluetooth audio). I don't want anything from Amazon having control over my car and it's good that only one company, America's favorite automaker, Volkswagen wants Echo permanently implemented in their cars.

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    • Art Vandelay Art Vandelay on Jan 22, 2017

      You know, at least Microsoft and Apple's business model just involves selling me hardware and software. Yes there is targeted advertising but I can mostly kill it with little effect on my user experience. The others not so much. I'm pretty well done with Google. I currently use an iPhone and a mac, but I eagerly await the Surface Phone. I'm pretty sure that and a surface pro will be in my future unless Apple gets off the "get rid of all the ports and mag safe power supply" game. There is not an Android anything in my future.

  • Tassos Jong-iL Communist America Rises!
  • Merc190 A CB7 Accord with the 5 cylinder
  • MRF 95 T-Bird Daihatsu Copen- A fun Kei sized roadster. Equipped with a 660cc three, a five speed manual and a retractable roof it’s all you need. Subaru Levorg wagon-because not everyone needs a lifted Outback.
  • Merc190 I test drive one of these back in the day with an automatic, just to drive an Alfa, with a Busso no less. Didn't care for the dash design, would be a fun adventure to find some scrapped Lancia Themas or Saab 900's and do some swapping to make car even sweeter. But definitely lose the ground effects.
  • MRF 95 T-Bird These 164s, as documented by its owner have to be constantly sorted, as they say. They are nice drivers. I’d rather find a, under the 25 year rule nice and easier to deal with Type 916 Alfa Romeo GTV/Spyder.
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