Beginning 2020, cars in General Motors’ lineup with build years 2018 and later will undergo Alexa integration as a result of the recently announced tie-up the automaker forged with Amazon.
Owners of 2018 and newer Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC cars with compatible infotainment systems can expect the addition of Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant in their vehicles starting in the first half of 2020.
The tech company will provide vehicle owners with over-the-air updates, which will rely on GM’s 4G LTE connectivity to work. Alexa will allow drivers to navigate, select songs or podcasts from streaming services, make calls, and remotely perform certain smart home controls such as lights and thermostat.
The initiative is part of GM’s ways to offer convenience to its customers as it believes car owners refer to use the same digital assistant in their homes and in their cars.
However, consumers should be aware that Alexa keeps a record of the user’s location data when in use. Users are given the option to delete their personal data from Amazon’s servers, but the tech giant made it clear that the data collection function is opt-out and not opt-in.
Aside from General Motors, several car companies also adopted the Alexa technology in their respective models, including Audi (E-tron electric SUV), Ford (select 2016 to 2018 models), BMW (almost all BMWs built from 2014 and onwards), Lexus (2019 models), Lincoln (2016-2017 models), and Toyota (2018 Camry and other 2019 models).
Aside from Amazon, GM also has an agreement with Google to make Google Assistant available in its cars beginning 2021.
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