• by Tanya Gazdik , September 25, 2019

General Motors is integrating Amazon’s Alexa into millions of its vehicles across divisions and nameplates.

The addition of the in-vehicle Alexa voice experience in the first half of 2020 will allow drivers to get routing information, play music, check the news, control their smart home including their themostat, add items to their shopping cart and access tens of thousands of Alexa skills.

GM will make Alexa available on model year 2018 and newer cars, trucks and crossovers with compatible infotainment systems.

GM research showed many customers prefer to use the same voice service in their vehicles that they use in their homes. The Alexa voice experience in GM vehicles leverages the Alexa Auto Software Development Kit, which gives customers access to standard Alexa skills and capabilities. GM will also be able to create custom skills relevant to a customer’s vehicle. 

This is not the first time the automaker has collaborated with Amazon. In 2018, GM launched in-car delivery with Key by Amazon, and a series of Connected Car skills for Alexa, available on millions of eligible Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles in select cities.

This collaboration represents the broadest rollout of an embedded Alexa Auto experience to date, and provides a tailored voice experience for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac drivers.

The updateable app framework and vehicle connectivity allows the automaker to provide new technologies that enhance the ownership experience, said Santiago Chamorro, vice president for global connected services, GM.

“Bringing the Alexa experience to our vehicles is an example of how we are listening to our customers’ feedback, and offering them the voice technology of their choice,” Chamorro says in a release.