DEARBORN (WWJ) -- Alexa will soon be the official co-pilot of thousands of Ford drivers.
Ford is prepping what’s planned to be the industry’s broadest rollout of the embedded Alexa hands-free experience to date, with complimentary connectivity to Alexa for up to three years.
In 2021 alone, the same type of Alexa voice command functionality many people have in their homes will be wired to 700,000 Ford vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, followed by millions more over the next few years.
Amazon and Ford plan to work together over the next six years to explore the development of the first custom Alexa skills for Ford commercial vehicles, using the power of Alexa artificial intelligence to help business owners and fleet managers stay in touch with their teams and increase productivity.
“We’re excited to work with Amazon to bring powerful new AI-enabled experiences to Ford customers,” said Alex Purdy, Ford Motor Company's director of business operations and enterprise connectivity. “We believe in the power of teaming up with other innovators. Bringing Ford’s vehicle know-how together with Amazon’s technology expertise will deliver in-vehicle capabilities that help our retail customers travel more enjoyably and with ease, while helping our commercial customers operate more profitably.”
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Alexa technology will first be delivered through Ford Power-Up software updates beginning this fall for Bronco, Edge, F-150, Mustang Mach-E and Super Duty customers with SYNC 4 Technology in the U.S. and Canada, with other regions to follow.
Ford customers will be able ask Alexa to control smart home devices, place calls, locate parking and more. Alexa capabilities will also be hands-free, voice-initiated interactions to minimize distracted driving.
Much like the smart home systems, customers can pose questions and commands to their vehicle like, “Alexa, find the closest gas station," "Alexa, play my road trip playlist" or "Alexa, call Mom."
Additionally, Ford customers can continue to use FordPass skill for Alexa to control vehicle functions such as start/stop engine, lock and unlock doors, check vehicle range or tire pressure from the comfort of their home.
Ford first brought Alexa into its vehicles in 2017, starting with connected vehicle skills and then adding in-vehicle capabilities through the SYNC AppLink smartphone app, which is still available but no longer required.
More information about how customers can set up an Alexa account will be shared closer to launch.