Amazon launches a vehicle in the car, the Echo Auto, during 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 on Friday a new service – Alexa Custom Assistant – that enables automakers and device manufacturers to develop their own digital assistant, built on Amazon’s Alexa voice-oriented technology.
Although dependent on Amazon technology, car manufacturers can customize their digital assistant by setting unique passwords, voice, skills and abilities, such as search, traffic updates, and navigation.
The cost of developing an intelligent assistant using the service will depend on the device or vehicle, the use of customers and the language requirements, Amazon said.
Amazon said the solution is meant to remove some of the challenges associated with a business building its own digital assistant technology from scratch, which can be costly and time consuming. Car manufacturers using the service can also take advantage of ‘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 baked the digital assistant into various appliances in the home, including microwaves, watches and smart plugs.
For the past few years, Amazon has been aiming to work with automakers to put Alexa on the road, either by embedding the digital assistant in vehicles, or by enabling basic features, such as letting owners’ doors open close through voice commands from their homes. Last January, Amazon released an edition of its Fire TV streaming service for seating screens.
Amazon is facing competition from Silicon Valley companies such as Apple and Google who are also trying to persuade carmakers to integrate their technologies into in-car infotainment systems. So far, Amazon has formed partnerships 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 via Alexa Custom Assistant, Amazon said. Alexa Custom Assistant will be integrated into certain Fiat Chrysler vehicles through its car infotainment system, Uconnect 5.