• by Tanya Gazdik , May 11, 2017

No need to get out your phone or tablet to search; information about vehicles is now available as a skill for the Amazon Echo. 

Edmunds is the first third-party shopping site to launch an Alexa Skill. Available information includes expert in-depth reviews, safety features, warranty information, fuel efficiency, seating capacity, price, cargo capacity, powertrain and towing capacity.

Car shoppers can uncover local inventory, lease deals or area dealerships for any make or model. Car owners can save their current vehicle in the “garage” and get anytime access to recalls, maintenance schedules and the car’s market value.

“The freedom to simply ask questions to find relevant information about a vehicle is an invaluable asset, both in the short term when shopping for cars and on an ongoing basis once purchased,” said Phil Potloff, Edmunds chief digital officer, in a release. “We love how tapping into the power and convenience of natural language with Alexa brings Edmunds content to life for our users and underscores our commitment to innovation that brings increased value for shoppers and owners.”

Consumers start by saying “Alexa, ask Edmunds …” and then can follow it with a range of questions about vehicles. The English-only skill is free and available now. To enable, go to the “skills” section of the Alexa app, search for Edmunds and click “enable,” or say “Alexa, enable Edmunds” to any Alexa-enabled device.

The skill works with any Alexa device, including the newly announced Echo Show. Already, Edmunds developers are envisioning what might be possible for future updates to the Alexa Skill that incorporate imagery and video. 

“We know that Edmunds users view more than 28 million photos a month on the Edmunds website, so the possibility of combining voice and visuals in a future Alexa Skill is exciting,” said Greg Shaffer, senior director of product management at Edmunds in a release. “Just imagine seeing a 360 view of the new Ford Mustang while hearing about its new features from an Edmunds editor, or seeing images with measurements of the actual cargo space of a new SUV when you ask about cargo capacity.”

Edmunds also envisions the ability to extend a car’s dashboard into the home, so you could check or schedule service right from your kitchen.