Ford is exploring integrating its cars with the Amazon Echo and the Wink smart home platform, and it seems like something AT&T could have told us about in its early '90s "You Will" marketing campaign.
From the home, Ford envisions car owners remotely starting or unlocking their car, as well as getting information like fuel level and charge status (for EVs), and something that will give every teenager fits: access to vehicle location and estimated driving time to get back home.
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From inside the car, users can talk to Amazon's Alexa platform via a button on the steering wheel, giving access to any number of devices on its platform, including garage door or lighting. Drivers could also access more traditional Echo features like adding information to Amazon shopping lists, getting weather reports, and more.
The Wink platform would offer control of connected devices like garage door openers or smart locks through Ford's Sync AppLink, including with voice control.
Ford isn't the first automaker to try to integrate the smart home and car — Mercedes-Benz joined Nest's developer platform two years ago, allowing drivers to control their home thermostat from the driver's seat. Ford isn't saying when these developments might be available, but anything that can make our smart devices smarter gets a thumbs up from us.
