Genesis will be the first automaker to have built-in support for Amazon Alexa voice recognition and command functionality, allowing owners to remotely start the car’s engine, lock/unlock doors, turn on lights, operate climate control - all from speaking aloud to the Amazon Echo device.
Genesis, Hyundai’s newly formed luxury sub-brand, will be offering this new feature to their G80 and G90 cars. Owners can now use their Echo to query Alexa about information concerning their particular car, such as asking: “Did I lock the car?” or “How can I warm up my car on a snowy morning without going outside, get my news and still get to work on time?”.
Leveraging the power and convenience of the internet to give owners more flexibility when it comes to their car is something that automakers have been exploring for a good long while now and has been accelerated somewhat by the advent of the smartphone and high-speed mobile internet being widely available and at a relatively low price.
“The Amazon Alexa skill for Genesis demonstrates our progressive commitment to technology that is intuitive and customer-focused. It aligns with our belief that time and convenience are the ultimate luxuries,” said Erwin Raphael, general manager of Genesis in the U.S. market. “From remotely locking your car from your living room, to starting your G90 and setting the temperature from your bedroom, the Alexa skill for Genesis offers a new level of ease for owners.”
This support for Amazon Echo isn’t just one-sided, however, and would also allow owners to control their other connected objects as well such as having the smart lights at home turn on as you pull into your garage or remotely unlocking the front door.
It isn’t a stretch to imagine that cars of all makes will eventually build in tighter integration with the internet and the operational paradigms defined by smartphone and the voice recognition software they have popularised.
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