BMW’s next-generation vehicle voice assistant will be powered by Amazon Alexa technology

Amazon held its fall hardware event, where it announced numerous products, including the Kindle Scribe, Fire TV Cube, Halo Rise, and more. Along with a variety of different hardware products, it also announced its partnership with BMW Group, makers of vehicles like BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce.

During its presentation, BMW Group shared its plans to build its next voice assistant using Amazon’s Alexa technology. Stephan Durach, who is the Senior Vice President Connected Company and Development Technical Operations stated, “The Alexa technology will enable an even more natural dialogue between driver and vehicle, so drivers can stay focused on the road. This will bring the digital experience to an entirely new level.” While Alexa is never really thought of for use in a custom application, it does have that capability, which can make it easier and faster for companies to develop their own virtual assistant. This not only works for vehicles but can also be applied in other applications.

According to BMW Group, the new voice assistant built using Amazon’s technology will work in harmony with Alexa, providing immense benefits for both brands and consumers. Furthermore, BMW Group will provide options with its vehicles, allowing consumers to choose BMW’s own voice assistant, the Alexa variant, or both. It will be interesting to see how the two interact when the latter configuration is enabled. For those that are getting excited about the prospect of being able to use Alexa in their BMW, Mini, or Rolls-Royce vehicle, you might be a little disappointed, as the company stated that the new voice assistant option would be rolling out sometime within the next two years.

As mentioned before, along with its partnership with BMW Group, Amazon also launched several new products at its hardware event. Perhaps one of the most interesting out of the bunch was its latest e-reader, the Kindle Scribe. What makes Scribe different from previous Kindle models is its ability to not only display books but also allow users to take notes. That means users can take notes on the device and also do so on pages of books that they are currently reading. Currently, the Kindle Scribe is available for pre-order starting at $339.99 and will be available on November 30.

---

Source: BMW Group