- general motors and amazon have partnered to make amazon's alexa available in 2018 and newer buick, cadillac, chevrolet and gmc cars with compatible infotainment systems starting in the first half of 2020.
- the service will allow drivers to use alexa to navigate, select songs or podcasts from streaming services, make calls, and control certain smart home features.
- gm has a similar agreement with google to make the google assistant available in cars starting in 2021.
owners of 2018 and newer general motors cars will be able to use amazon's alexa digital assistant in their cars starting in the first half of 2020. amazon connectivity will be available via over-the-air update to the owners of vehicles with compatible infotainment systems and will rely on gm's 4g lte connectivity to work.
several other automakers already adopted alexa a while ago—among them audi, ford, lexus, and toyota.
gm says that many car owners would prefer to use the same digital assistant in their home and in their cars. drivers who use alexa in their gm car won't be limited to using the device as a navigation tool. they'll also be able to use alexa to select music or podcasts, control certain connected home features like lights and thermostat, and add items to a shopping list. google loyalists will have the same opportunity when gm integrates google assistant into its cars in 2021.
alexa records a user's location data when in use, and bringing alexa into the car could allow amazon to collect even more information about where its users go. users can choose to delete this data from amazon's servers, but the data collection is opt-out rather than opt-in.
amazon already offers an echo auto that, for $50, can connect to your phone and play through the car's speakers. the echo auto can set reminders, play music, check the news, or find the nearest gas station.
in addition to all of alexa's existing charms, amazon announced at an event this week that it would soon offer celebrity voices for many alexa functions. samuel l. jackson will be the first to lend his voice to the service, which will cost $0.99 to start and $4.99 once the introductory period is over. jackson won't provide audio for all of alexa's functions, but owners who pay for the service could have the star as their personal dj on road trips.