Hyundai is gearing up to demonstrate the compatibility of its Blue Link Agent with Google Assistant during Pepcom’s Digital Experience ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show, which is the annual tech confab in Las Vegas that kicks off today (Jan. 4.)
In a press release, Hyundai said the demonstration will show how Blue Link Agent allows control of various functions of a Hyundai car with voice commands — commands such as “OK, Google, tell Blue Link to start my Santa Fe and set the temperature to 72 degrees;” “OK, Google, tell Blue Link to send the address of the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas to my Sonata;” and “OK, Google, ask Blue Link to lock my car,” Hyundai said in the press release.
“Our customers are finding smart home integrations like the one we are showcasing with Google Home to be very useful and convenient,” said Manish Mehrotra, director of digital business planning and connected operations for Hyundai Motor America. “We will continue to add layers of convenience to the Blue Link connected car system and our cars, making features like remote EV charge management, remote locking, temperature and remote start easier than ever, while sitting on the couch and saying, ‘OK, Google.’”
Google Home is a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant that can provide real-time answers and activate streaming music services, smart home devices and, now, cars. It’s similar to Amazon’s Echo with Alexa, its widely popular virtual assistant. With Blue Link, Hyundai car owners get access to a host of technologies, including Remote Start with Climate Control, Destination Search powered by Google, Remote Door Lock/Unlock, Car Finder, Enhanced Roadside Assistance and Stolen Vehicle Recovery. Blue Link services can be accessed from the buttons on the rearview mirror and center stack, the web or via the Blue Link owner’s smartphone app. In addition to the action on Google Assistant, some of these features can also be controlled via the latest Android Wear and Apple Watch, the carmaker said.