Amazon will introduce an in-car gadget, the Echo Auto, at an event on September 20, 2018
Todd Haselton | CNBC
Amazon wants to make it easier for car manufacturers to bring voice assistants to their vehicles.
The company announced a new service – Alexa Custom Assistant – on Friday that will allow car makers and device manufacturers to develop their own digital assistant, based on Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa technology.
Although it relies on Amazon technology, car manufacturers can customize their digital assistant by setting unique wake words, voice, skills and capabilities such as search, traffic updates and navigation.
The cost of developing an intelligent assistant using the service will depend on the device or vehicle, customer usage scenarios and language requirements, Amazon said.
Amazon said the solution aims to overcome some of the challenges posed by a company building its own digital assistance technology from scratch, which can be costly and time consuming. Vehicle manufacturers using the service can also leverage “tens of thousands of Alexa skills and integrations,” such as smart home, entertainment, and shopping.
The offering is the latest example of Amazon’s efforts to expand Alexa’s reach beyond voice-activated smart speakers. The company has baked the digital assistant into a range of devices around the home, including microwave ovens, clocks and smart plugs.
In recent years, Amazon has set its sights on partnering with car manufacturers to get Alexa on the road, either by integrating the digital assistant into vehicles or enabling more basic capabilities such as letting owners lock their car doors with voice commands from their house. Last January, Amazon released an edition of its Fire TV seatback screen streaming service.
Amazon faces competition from Silicon Valley companies, such as Apple and Google, who also want to persuade automakers to integrate their technologies into in-car infotainment systems. So far, Amazon has partnered with a growing list of automakers, including General Motors, Ford, BMW, Audi, Toyota, Hyundai and Nissan.
Fiat Chrysler, which previously partnered with Amazon to bring its technology to vehicles, will be the first automaker to develop its own digital assistant through Alexa Custom Assistant, Amazon said. Alexa Custom Assistant will be integrated into select Fiat Chrysler vehicles through its automotive infotainment system, Uconnect 5.