Home automation assistants are going mainstream thanks to devices such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home. The latest automaker to take advantage of this trend is Mercedes which has announced plans to support both systems.
The service will be available on all 2016 and 2017 models sold in the United States. Mercedes says this allow owners to control various functions of their vehicle by simply talking to either an Amazon Echo or Google Home device.
For example, Google Home users will be able to say “Ok, Google, tell Mercedes Me to start my car.” Echo owners, on the other hand, can say “Alexa, ask Mercedes Me to send an address to the car.”
The company declined to release a full list of available commands but Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America’s Nils Schanz said “Mercedes-Benz’s goal is creating an intelligent ecosystem around cars, and developing cutting-edge technology to make everyday life more convenient for our customers.”
In order to use the service, owners will need to have an active Mercedes Me account and an Mbrace subscription. Customers will then need to link their account to the Amazon Alexa or Google Home app.
The service will be launched in the United States, but a European rollout is scheduled for later this year.
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