Amazon and Hyundai partner on online car sales, in-car services

By Stephen Edelstein November 16, 2023

A 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe in front of a giant Amazon box. — Hyundai

At the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, Amazon and Hyundai announced a partnership that will bring Amazon Alexa Built-in apps to future Hyundai vehicles and will make Hyundai the first brand in Amazon’s planned foray into online car sales.

Starting in 2025, “next-generation” Hyundai vehicles will offer the same Alexa experience users get at home, the automaker’s announcement said. Drivers will be able to ask Alexa to play music podcasts or audiobooks, set reminders, update to-do lists, and check calendars, as well as control smart-home functions. The built-in Alexa functionality will also include real-time traffic and weather information, as well as voice control for navigation systems. “Certain” features will be available even when internet access is limited.

Hyundai also named Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its “preferred cloud provider.” It’s part of Hyundai’s goal to “become a more data-driven organization with a cloud-first technology strategy,” which the automaker believes will help make vehicle production more efficient, as well as create new in-car features. Hyundai has also implemented a new training and certification program for its engineers get educated in “critical cloud skills” to prepare for this transition.

Starting in 2024, Hyundai will also be the first brand in Amazon’s online car sales push. Customers will be able to shop for a car online through Amazon and then pick it up or have it delivered by a local dealership. Amazon and Hyundai claim the entire transaction can be done online; interaction with the dealership is limited to getting the keys. This lets customers search for available vehicles in their area without having to set foot on a dealer lot, while helping dealers advertise vehicles they already have in stock, according to Amazon. Even with options initially limited to Hyundai models, shoppers will still be able to search by color, trim level, and features to choose a specific car.

Hyundai also brought some actual cars to the 2023 L.A. Auto Show. The show marked the U.S. debut of the redesigned 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe crossover SUV, as well as the Ioniq 5 N, a performance version of the excellent Ioniq 5 EV. Both are scheduled to go on sale in 2024.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

How to install Alexa in your car

amazon deals echo ring security fire and kindle auto 1

Talking to your oven, your air conditioning system, and your fridge is easy with Amazon's A.I.-powered Alexa virtual assistant, so putting this technology in a car is a no-brainer. The list of new cars that come equipped with Amazon Alexa compatibility grows annually, and several aftermarket companies make devices that let you add this feature to your vehicle regardless of when it was built. Here are the best ones available in 2020.
Muse

Speak Music’s Muse was one of the first Alexa car accessories to hit the market, and it's now in its second generation. All you do is connect the small device to your iPhone or Android-powered phone using Bluetooth. From there, you can use all of Alexa's regular functions. You can also control your car's audio functions, like skipping songs and boosting volume, by connecting to the car's display through Bluetooth, USB, or auxiliary inputs.

Smart Home

Amazon devices event 2020: Everything announced

amazon sept 24 event roundup liveblog announcement echo dot

In recent years, Amazon has evolved from an online retailer to an online retailer ... that also makes a slew of hardware. And like any other hardware company, that means holding annual events to show off its latest and greatest tech. Amazon's latest hardware event was Thursday, where the company showcased its latest Alexa devices, Ring devices, and so on. Here's everything the retail giant had to show off.
Amazon Echo

Amazon has completely redesigned the Amazon Echo. The new device does away with the cylindrical design found in Echo speakers since the beginning in favor of a new, spherical design. The standard Echo also now has the advantages of the previous-generation Echo Plus -- including a Zigbee smart home hub and a bridge to the new Amazon Sidewalk shared network, which is launching later this year. That means you don't have to shell out extra cash for a more expensive device just to get the smart home connectivity you need.

News

What to expect from Amazon’s September 2020 event

amazon event 2019 meet the family

Amazon's annual fall event is on the way, and the rumor mills have begun to spin as people try to guess what new tech the retail giant will launch. Invites to the event have been sent out to select media (us included), so we're eager to know what's on the docket. With few details on what Amazon has planned, anything is possible. If it follows last year's event, we should be in for a huge announcement that covers the entire Amazon ecosystem.
When is the event?
Amazon has officially announced the event for at 10 a.m. PT on September 24, but it's worth noting that the event will be "invite only." There will be no public stream available to watch.
New Alexa speakers
Amazon has a proven history of releasing updates to its Amazon Echo line of smart speakers and smart displays. For example, the 2019 fall Amazon event saw the launch of the Amazon Echo Studio, the company's newest, high-end speaker. Its superior focus on audio quality appealed to users that sought a speaker capable of more than mid-range audio and smart home control.

Last year, Amazon also launched the Amazon Echo Show 8, the in-between version of its popular smart display that sits in the middle of the Echo Show (10-inch ) and Amazon Echo Show 5. Amazon also updated its third-generation Echo Dot with a built-in LED clock, while improving its audio quality and providing new colors. Amazon also launched several new products like the Echo Flex, a tiny smart speaker with more flexible placement options.