Toyota to integrate Alexa in its cars starting this year

Toyota has announced that it will introduce Amazon Alexa, its cloud-based intelligent voice assistant in select Toyota cars, starting this year. The company said that it will be deploying Alexa beginning with Entune 3.0 App Suite and Lexus Enform 2.0 vehicle system software updates for select 2018 models. Additional models will get Alexa integration by the beginning of 2019.

Hey #Alexa... I’m on my way home, turn on the lights and crank up the heat! Read more from today’s special announcement from #CES2018: https://t.co/sUajwRAb8o #Amazon pic.twitter.com/pjUFNEoRoQ

— Toyota USA (@Toyota) January 9, 2018

“Voice services are rapidly becoming more popular and through our integration with Amazon Alexa, Toyota and Lexus customers will soon be able to easily speak to Alexa in their cars while on-the-go,” said Zack Hicks, senior vice president and chief information officer of Toyota Motor North America and chief executive officer and president of Toyota Connected.

John Scumniotales, head of product for Amazon Alexa Automotive said, "We’re thrilled that Toyota and Lexus will bring Alexa to customers on the road. Our vision for Alexa is that she should be everywhere a customer might need her – at home, in the office, on phones – and in cars. This integration means that customers can interact with Alexa, virtually anywhere they drive."

The service will enable new features in the cars such as the ability to start the engine remotely or lock the car doors by giving a command through another Alexa device from home or elsewhere.