GM Adds Amazon Alexa To Cadillac, Chevy, Buick And GMC Vehicles

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General Motors Adds Amazon Alexa To All Cadillac, Chevy, Buick And GMC Vehicles

By Mark Lugris

Published Sep 26, 2019

All 2018 and newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles will feature Amazon Alexa as of next year through a software update.

Via AOL

General Motors has announced that Amazon Alexa, a virtual assistant, will be added to all of its new vehicles and some existing models. All 2018 and newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles will feature Amazon Alexa as of next year through a software update, the automaker said at yesterday’s Amazon Devices Event.

GM drivers can use Alexa voice commands to ask for directions, play a specific song or podcast, call people by connecting their phone using Bluetooth, or control their smart home devices while driving. According to Santiago Chamorro, vice president for Global Connected Services, GM, the company’s ‘updateable app framework and vehicle connectivity’ allows GM to offer drivers, including current customers, new technologies that improve the ownership experience. Over-the-air software updates, which were first popularized by Tesla, have become crucial to car makers that are looking to entice tech savvy customers used to their continually evolving smartphones.

GM hopes that providing Alexa responds to customers’ needs by ‘offering them the voice technology of their choice.’ In 2018, GM worked with Amazon to launch in-car delivery with Amazon Key, an advanced package delivery system that lets delivery personnel access your home or car and leave packages rather than dropping them off on your doorstep where they can be stolen. Other car companies that have Amazon Alexa integration integrated into their vehicles include Ford, Audi, Lexus, Lincoln, SEAT, and Toyota.

Drivers can also connect Alexa in their car by installing a device like Speak Music’s Muse, Roav Viva Pro, Garmin Speak, or Amazon’s own Echo Auto, which plugs into the vehicle’s USB port or lighter and is set up with the Alexa app. The device enables drivers to use all of Alexa’s regular functions, such as hands-free calling and includes a mute button for the mic.

Amazon has become a key player in the automotive industry by investing in startups like Rivian. The e-commerce giant has placed an order for 100,000 Rivian electric delivery vans with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly saying that prototype vans may debut as soon as 2020, with the first vans hitting the road in 2021 and all 100,000 in service by 2024.