BMW Announces The Addition Of Amazon’s Alexa To Cars From 2018

ALPHERA Financial Services’ parent company, BMW Group, has announced that Alexa, Amazon’s voice-controlled personal assistant, will be included in all new vehicles from mid-2018.

It’s another example of the BMW Group leading the automotive world by harnessing new technologies to benefit its customers. Alexa, the cloud-based voice service, will be fitted to all BMW and MINI vehicles in the USA, UK and Germany, and enable BMW Group customers to access a wide range of services by simple voice interaction.

Alexa’s inclusion in new vehicles will be completely seamless too, as all cars will have their own SIM card. Connectivity can be provided anytime, anywhere, without the need for a smartphone. This means that users will be able to use all of Alexa’s functions enjoyed at home while out on the road, such as accessing their favourite playlist, finding out about the weather at their destination, asking for movie times or when scheduled appointments are due, and even ordering items on the move.

Voice control is nothing new to the BMW brand. BMW Connected customers can already ask Alexa to check vehicle information such as the state of charge or fuel level, or even control their car via Remote Services from the comfort of their home. This service has been available to UK, USA and German owners since September 2016. However, the availability of Alexa in-car demonstrates a real commitment to not only connected living but also providing even more driver enjoyment.