Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have officially inked an agreement with Samsung Electronics on January 3 to forge a strategic partnership for Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services. The collaboration aims to redefine the connection between residential and mobility spaces, offering customers a seamless integration of their digital lifestyles.
As part of this agreement, Hyundai and Kia vehicle owners will gain the ability to remotely control smart home devices using their cars’ in-car infotainment systems, employing both touch and voice commands. Conversely, users can also manage various vehicle functions through AI speakers, TVs, and smartphone apps. This integration is made possible through the seamless merger of Hyundai and Kia’s connected car services with Samsung’s Internet of Things (IoT) platform, known as ‘SmartThings,’ ensuring uninterrupted connectivity experiences for users in their daily lives.
For instance, during a hot summer evening commute, users can activate the ‘Home Mode’ from their vehicles, turning on the air conditioner, air purifier, robot vacuum, and lights to create a comfortable living space. Similarly, before leaving home, the ‘Away Mode’ can be initiated to turn off unnecessary lights, start the robot vacuum for a clean living space upon return, and pre-activate the vehicle’s air conditioning to a preferred temperature.
Hyundai and Kia’s Car-to-Home service will introduce location-based automatic operation in addition to touchscreen and voice commands, enhancing convenience for users while driving. Electric vehicle owners will also benefit from SmartThings’ integrated home energy management service, allowing them to monitor and adjust energy usage for both home and vehicle.
The automakers plan to extend these Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services to international customers by integrating them with Samsung SmartThings on a global scale. To achieve this, Hyundai and Kia will develop stable infotainment systems, ensuring continuous updates through over-the-air (OTA) and USB-based updates for existing vehicles.
Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai and Kia’s Infotainment Development Center, expressed, “This is an opportunity to make the connected car’s Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services more convenient in various fields. We plan to accelerate our technology development to continuously make global Hyundai and Kia customers’ journeys meaningful.”
Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics, added, “This collaboration will enable communication from Home-to-Car and integrated home energy management services that are optimized for future lifestyles. By connecting the SmartThings platform with vehicles, we’ll be able to significantly enhance the customer experience in both the home and the car.”
Notably, Hyundai and Kia have already been providing Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services through collaborations with telecommunication companies and construction firms. The partnership with Samsung SmartThings is set to expand these services to support connections with an even wider range of devices. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Samsung Electronics signals the beginning of an exciting journey toward enhancing connectivity between residential and mobility spaces, with plans for future expansion into global markets.
Courtesy : https://chat.openai.com