'Alexa, start my Elantra': Hyundai will connect its cars to Amazon Echo
This is taking it one step beyond your normal Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity.
These days, most of the in-car tech hubbub is about Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which extend the smartphone experience into your car's infotainment system. But where do we go after that? Hyundai has an idea, and it's going to be coming out rather soon.
Hyundai will roll out a system that allows its Blue Link telematics system to work with Amazon's Echo, according to our good friends at Motor1. Echo works like Apple's Siri or Microsoft's Cortana, but it's contained in a standalone black cylinder. Hyundai's Blue Link smartphone app lets you control aspects of your car by simply talking to Alexa (the name for the voice inside the Echo).
Motor1 says that Hyundai will roll out simple commands at first -- stuff you can already do with the Blue Link app by itself, like lock doors and start the car. Eventually, it'll expand to include other connected systems, which could go as far as tweaking smart home settings when your car gets within range of your house.
It's believed that this integration will roll out to the public in a few months' time. You will need to subscribe to Blue Link, though, which costs $99 after a one-year free trial.
