zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
BMW’s Next-Gen In-Car Assistant Will Be Powered by Amazon’s Alexa
BMW’s Next-Gen In-Car Assistant Will Be Powered by Amazon’s Alexa-June 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:02

Two boring white guys standing in front of logos.

A ton of new cars are coming equipped from the factory with because, presumably, some people are into that for some reason. Now, according to an announcement made on Wednesday, BMW is going a step further.

Specifically, BMW will use Alexa to power its next-generation BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. So, when you whine at your car because you’re cold or ask it to set a navigation destination and nothing happens, or it tries to freeze you out, you can now add Amazon to your list of companies to blame.

“The Alexa technology will enable an even more natural dialogue between driver and vehicle, so drivers can stay focused on the road. This will bring the digital experience to an entirely new level,” said Stephan Durach, senior vice president of Connected Company and Development Technical Operations for BMW Group, in a statement.

Of course, the addition of Alexa as the backbone of the digital in-car assistant could be cause for privacy concerns for a lot of users. Many people don’t use Alexa in their homes, so integrating it further into their cars kind of defeats the purpose. BMW and Amazon claim they will adhere to strict data privacy policies but didn’t elaborate on what that means.

It’s not totally clear either when this change will go into effect, but it seems likely that it’ll happen with the next generation of iDrive, though that’s just speculation on our part.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Detroit-Hamtramck Is Officially GM's First Dedicated EV Assembly Plant
Detroit-Hamtramck Is Officially GM's First Dedicated EV Assembly Plant
After months of uncertainty regarding General Motors’ “” Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit, Michigan, there’s finally official word on the plant’s future. Today, the automaker announced Detroit-Hamtramck will serve as its first, fully dedicated electric vehicle assembly plant. GM is investing $2.2 billion in Detroit-Hamtramck to build “a variety” of...
Jun 25, 2026
2021 Ford Bronco: Here Are Some Spy Shots
2021 Ford Bronco: Here Are Some Spy Shots
The New Bronco has been coming for seemingly as long as humans have been connected to each other through the internet. out, as people are excited by the prospects of an off-roady SUV from the Blue Oval with the kind of capabilities to directly take on the Jeep Wrangler....
Jun 25, 2026
The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S Is Great But I Have Just One Problem With It
The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S Is Great But I Have Just One Problem With It
The I had recently was a truly great car. It was fast, powerful, capable and technologically advanced. In fact, I had no real qualms with it—except for one bit of tomfoolery I noticed while sitting in it a few weeks ago. As you might know, luxury Swiss watch brand...
Jun 25, 2026
Rivian Says Its Trucks May Be Cheaper Than Initially Promised
Rivian Says Its Trucks May Be Cheaper Than Initially Promised
Rivians may be a little less expensive, the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak is starting to affect the car world, and Ford offers to buy everyone lunch as an apology for selling cars with faulty transmissions. All that and more in the Morning Shift for January 27, 2020. The Rivian R1T...
Jun 25, 2026
Delayed TVR Griffith Delayed Once More: Report
Delayed TVR Griffith Delayed Once More: Report
The new , which is decidedly a Good Car, has been hit with yet another delay. This is following , which involved some issues with the factory. Surprise—this most recent delay also has to do with the factory. A newsletter written by current TVR head Les Edgar was apparently...
Jun 25, 2026
My Favorite Infotainment Platform Uconnect Is Getting A Big Update
My Favorite Infotainment Platform Uconnect Is Getting A Big Update
Fiat Chrysler’s Uconnect infotainment software is a perennial auto journalist fave for its appreciated combo of user-friendliness and fun features. The latest iteration, Uconnect 5, was announced today with some specs and I have mixed feelings. Mostly: Faster processing good, Alexa in cars why? From the screenshots that FCA’s...
Jun 25, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved