BMW is now building an Alexa skill for the Amazon Echo as part of its larger BMW Connected cloud architecture. It will allow owners of the connected BMW vehicles to check their vehicle’s remaining range and use commands like ‘lock doors’ through the Echo to control their vehicles.

Feature:

The updated BMW Connected smartphone app using Alexa will be available in the US in early October, the company said.

The Alexa integration is the most fun, that letting you use voice commands with an Echo or Echo Dot to lock the vehicle’s doors, load up a scheduled trip and check battery and fuel levels.

Alexa integration will also send navigation directions to the vehicle and advise when it’s time to leave for a scheduled trip. The owner will be notified via smartphone.

Furthermore, the system gets the option of creating a ‘BMW ID,’ which is an intelligent feature that’s based on a user’s travel patterns over time. With those trends, your BMW will also be able to provide a personalized experience that enriches your drive.

You might have observed a term called ‘last mile navigation,’ that refers to the route a user will take without their vehicle so that they can reach their destination of choice.

In simple words, your chosen end destination is seamlessly sent to your smartphone when you park, so you know where to go when you exit parking facility. This is a sensible function that improves your daily routine even if you didn’t think you needed GPS to get from a parking spot to a destination.

Release Date:

BMW says the Alexa feature is expected to launch this year. Back at CES, Ford said it was considering the addition of Alexa support to its Ford Sync Connect system, and adding similar control schemes to Echo, as well as it giving Echo owners the ability to speak to and control Alexa from the car.