Hyundai and Amazon announce online automotive sales partnership…AI assistant ‘Alexa’ to be available in new cars starting in 2025.

Hyundai Motor Company and Amazon announced a comprehensive and strategic partnership to provide innovative and new experiences to customers at the 2023 LA Auto Show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in the U.S. on the 16th (local time).

The partnership includes online car sales on Amazon, selection of Amazon Web Services as the cloud-first provider for digital innovation, and the installation of Amazon’s AI assistant ‘Alexa’ in future Hyundai cars, among other areas of cooperation.

Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, said, “Hyundai Motor Company is an innovative company that can share Amazon’s passion for making customers’ lives better and easier. This partnership should not only make it easier for customers to buy cars online and use Alexa in the car for entertainment, shopping, smart home control, and schedule checking, but also innovate customer experience and business operations by transferring data to Amazon Web Services. We look forward to developing various business models with Hyundai Motor Company in the future.”

Jang Jae-hoon, President of Hyundai Motor Company, said, “The cooperation with Amazon, one of the most customer-centric companies in the world, is an opportunity to expand Hyundai Motor Company’s business and sales network and accelerate the transition to electrification, thereby realizing the future of smart mobility.”

He added, “Amazon is an ideal partner to realize Hyundai Motor Company’s vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’ by moving people and goods in a more efficient and sustainable way. Hyundai Motor Company is the first car company where the entire purchase process from vehicle selection to receipt is possible on Amazon, which shows that Hyundai Motor Company continues to seek ways to enhance customer experience with Amazon.”

The detailed content announced by Hyundai Motor Company and Amazon is as follows.

– Online Car Sales

First, Hyundai Motor Company and Amazon will sell Hyundai cars in the U.S. through Amazon starting in 2024 through this business agreement. Hyundai Motor Company is the first brand that allows customers to purchase vehicles on Amazon.

Through this new digital shopping experience, customers can easily buy a car anywhere and receive the vehicle from the dealer at the desired time or receive it at home.

Customers can find vehicles available for purchase in the area they want to buy according to various selection options such as model, trim, color, and features, and select payment and financing options to complete the entire car purchase process on Amazon.

Dealers can increase awareness and provide convenience to customers through online car sales.

– Data Innovation

Hyundai Motor Company has chosen Amazon Web Services (AWS), which boasts the highest level of recognition in the cloud computing industry, as the cloud-first provider for overall data management innovations such as computation, storage, management and operation, analysis, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Hyundai Motor Company will become a more data-centric company by converting the operation method of all data from research and development to customer response from the current on-premises form to AWS, which is in the form of the cloud.

Hyundai Motor Company will first apply AWS to production optimization, manufacturing and supply chain management, security and disaster recovery, and connected car development.

Hyundai Motor Company and Amazon have created an education and certification program to educate Hyundai Motor Company’s researchers on cloud technology.

– In-Vehicle Solutions

Hyundai Motor Company plans to install Amazon’s AI assistant Alexa in new cars launched in the U.S. from 2025.

Customers can ask Alexa to play music, podcasts, audiobooks, set notifications, modify schedules, check calendars, etc.

In addition, while driving home, customers can ask Alexa to warm up the house, check if the front door is locked, control the lighting, and other various smart home functions.

Not only that, customers can ask Alexa for the latest traffic information updates or weather forecasts, and control the in-vehicle media player or navigation system by voice through Alexa. Some functions can be used even when the internet connection is unstable or unavailable.

-MOTORDAILY-