Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation are teaming up with Samsung Electronics to connect their cars to homes in even more ways than before. Their new Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car service partnership will allow customers to control various things in their home remotely from the car, and vice versa. It's through the integration of Samsung’s ‘SmartThings’ IoT (Internet of Things) platform to Hyundai and Kia's connected car services.
Here's what it will do:
- Car-to-Home service will allow customers to provide remote and touch-based control of various home appliances through voice commands while driving
- Home-to-Car service will allow customers to check vehicle status, control functions and manage charging before and after driving, using AI speakers, TVs and smartphone apps,
By activating ‘Home Mode’ users can turn on the registered air conditioner and air purifier, start the robot vacuum, and turn on the lights . Using ‘Away Mode’ users can turn off lights and start the robot vacuum as well as pre-activate the vehicle's A/C system.
To use the Car-to-Home service, users can register and use specific modes for each situation to minimize device operation while driving. Location-based automatic operation, in addition to touchscreen and voice commands, will be implemented to provide more convenient service to customers.
Electric vehicle owners can use SmartThings’ integrated home energy management service to check the energy usage of their home and vehicle and adjust the optimal charging times.
Hyundai and Kia say they plan to expand their Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services to overseas customers by linking the connected car platforms and Samsung SmartThings. To achieve this, Hyundai and Kia will develop stable service-providing infotainment systems, and subsequently provide these features through over-the-air (OTA) and USB-based updates even for existing vehicles.
“This is an opportunity to make the connected car’s Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services more convenient in various fields,” said Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai and Kia’s Infotainment Development Center. “We plan to accelerate our technology development to continuously make global Hyundai and Kia customers’ journeys meaningful.”
“This collaboration will enable communication from Home-to-Car and integrated home energy management services that are optimized for future lifestyles,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics. “By connecting the SmartThings platform with vehicles, we’ll be able to significantly enhance the customer experience in both the home and the car.”
Ultimately this is an expansion of services Hyundai and Kia already provides through collaborations with telecommunication companies and construction companies. The automakers say the Car-to-Home service was previously available for six items, including lighting, plugs, gas shut-off valves, ventilation, air conditioning and boilers . The Home-to-Car service for vehicle air conditioning, remote start and charging management. The automakers say those services will be expanded to support connections with a wider range of devices through this partnership.
Photo Credit: Hyundai.