Nissan Owners Can Now Start Their Cars with Amazon Echo
“Alexa, tell Nissan to build a new Z Car already.”
Amazon Echo users rejoice, as Nissan announced Wednesday that you can now use Alexa's voice commands to operate a number of vehicles in Nissan's lineup.
No, Alexa won't drive for you, but you can start the car, unlock/lock the doors, flash the lights, and even honk the horn just by giving commands to your Echo device, all from the safety of your own home.
Nissan says that later this October, it will integrate Alexa with its software, free for owners whose cars are equipped with the NissanConnect telematics. Users can find Alexa under the "NissanConnect Services" section of the Amazon Skills Store.
Nine Nissan models will immediately support Alexa's advanced features: 2016/17/17.5 Altima, 2018 Armada, 2017 GT-R, 2016/17 Maxima, 2017.5 Murano, 2017/18 Pathfinder, 2016/17 Rogue, 2017 Rogue Sport, 2016/17 Sentra, 2017 Titan, and 2016/17 Titan XD. Yes, that means you can listen to your GT-R start up in the driveway as many times as you want without ever going outside.
Don't despair if your car didn't make the list, as Nissan plans to add functionality to many more cars, starting with the 2011 to 2018 Leaf.
This isn't the first time Amazon has delved into the auto industry in an effort to make staying connected on the road easier and safer, and it won't be the last.