With Android Auto and Apple CarPlay now standard equipment on most new vehicles, automakers are beginning to embrace Amazon’s Alexa.
In an interview with CNBC, Alexa Auto vice president Ned Curic said demand from automakers has gone “through the roof” and they’re much further along than the company originally expected.
Alexa is already available in a handful of vehicles including certain models from Audi, Ford, Lexus, Lincoln, Seat and Toyota. More are coming in the future as GM announced Alexa will be added to millions of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles starting in the first half of 2020.
Also Read: Study Says Buyers Want Amazon Alexa And Google Assistant In Their Car
While some people might not see the need for Alexa in automobiles, GM has previously said “research shows that many customers prefer to use the same voice services they use in their home in their vehicles.” The company also noted they will be able to create custom skills that are related to specific automobiles. This promises to make Alexa more useful as it could allows users to do more than simply adjust the radio or change climate control settings.
Amazon is upbeat about Alexa’s potential, but challenges remain. As CNBC noted, using Alexa in GM vehicles will require a monthly data plan that costs $14.99 a month. Curic said consumers are actively “resisting” paying these fees so “automakers, in general, are going to have to figure out this data thing.”
Interestingly, Alexa isn’t the only thing companies are interested in. Curic said “There is a lot of demand by automakers for having something like a Fire TV in a rear seat.” In essence, this would be a rear-seat entertainment system which could stream content from services such as Amazon Prime Video.
This seems like a no-brainer, but Curic suggested Amazon isn’t sold on the idea. As he pointed out, it might not be necessarily given the popularity of tablets and smartphones. However, the company hasn’t made up their mind and automakers “think it’s very important.” Given this, they’re running the numbers to see the idea makes sense.
