Volkswagen to process Alexa voice service in car software

Volkswagen has announced that it will integrate the voice and information service Alexa in its cars. With Amazon’s service, several features become available, including providing information about the car or automatically purchasing supplies.

The arrival of Alexa was announced on the CES show floor, where a demo was also given, Engadget reports. Amazon, the maker of Alexa, uses the voice and information service in the smart Echo speaker, among other things, and the intention is that Volkswagen will take over much of the functionality. In addition, a number of car-specific functions will also be available. An example that was mentioned is providing status updates about the car, such as the fuel level and whether the car is locked. These functions are especially useful when the driver is not in the car.

It is also possible to look up information in the car with Alexa, and the system can automatically purchase parts or other car-related things. An example is the automatic ordering of wiper fluid or oil. Alexa also offers navigation, and it is also possible to set reminders, which can also be linked to locations.

It is not yet known when Alexa will come to Volkswagen’s cars. The manufacturer is still developing, but has already announced that every car with the Car-Net software will have access to Alexa; Volkswagen introduced Car-Net in 2013.

Incidentally, competitor Ford also announced during CES that it will use Alexa for its car software. The American manufacturer wants to start rolling out the software next month.