Amazon and Stellantis to Connect Vehicles to Digital Services

You will be tracked in real time.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Stellantis N.V. (NYSE/MTA/Euronext Paris: STLA) today announced a series of global, multi-year agreements that will change the in-vehicle experience for millions of Stellantis customers and advance the mobility industry’s transition to – what else – a software-defined, fee generating future. Amazon Web Services and Stellantis will work to deliver software for Stellantis’ new digital cabin platform, STLA SmartCockpit, starting in 2024. (Autoinformed: FIH Mobile, Stellantis JV Begun on Connected Car Technology; Stellantis Ups Electrification Strategy by $35.54 Billion)

Amazon and Stellantis will collaborate to deliver software for STLA SmartCockpit, which will run in millions of Stellantis vehicles globally starting in 2024. The software-defined platform will seamlessly integrate with customers’ digital lives to create personalized, intuitive in-vehicle experiences through AI-enhanced applications for entertainment, Alexa-enabled voice assistance, navigation, vehicle maintenance, ecommerce marketplaces, and payment services. Amazon will be the first commercial customer for the new Ram ProMaster Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) in 2023.

The STLA SmartCockpit platform will use Amazon products that are purpose-built for vehicles, it’s claimed. Stellantis will produce custom, brand and vehicle-specific capabilities. The software will offer services through an app store displayed through an “adaptive user interface design that presents timely, relevant information and features suited to each occupant’s individual needs and preferences.” In other words, you will be tracked. What happens to your personal information – how it is used, sold or resold or given to government entities – was not disclosed in the announcement.

STLA SmartCockpit will adapt to customers’ behaviors and interests. For example, Chrysler Pacifica vehicles could offer a family-trip planner that recommends media content, points of interest, restaurants, and other stops along the route. Jeep vehicles could come with a digital off-road “coach” to help customers calibrate the vehicle and optimize performance before tackling tough terrain, Stellantis said. (Autoinformed: Christine Feuell New Chrysler Brand CEO at Stellantis)

Integration with Amazon’s home and security services will allow customers to monitor and manage their homes while driving. Stellantis customers will also be able to manage their vehicles from their Alexa-enabled devices at home or their Alexa smartphone app, including using custom Alexa skills to set the in-cabin temperature before getting into their vehicle, schedule service, or order accessories.

The collaboration brings together Amazon’s digital experiences, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning with Stellantis’ automotive engineering and the current assortment of 14 vehicle brands.