Amazon is Your New Hyundai Dealer

Hyundai is partnering with online retail giant Amazon to sell cars in the U.S. in 2024. The Korean company that also owns Kia and Genesis, announced at the 2023 LA Auto Show that it will be using Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider, as vehicles from all three brands ready themselves for Alexa Built-in in the next generation.

“Partnering with one of the world’s most customer-centric organizations unlocks incredible opportunities as we continue to expand our portfolio, grow our sales network, transition to electrification and realize the future of smart mobility,” said President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Jaehoon (Jay) Chang in a press release.

“Amazon is the ideal partner to help realize our vision of progress for humanity, including improving how people and goods move more efficiently and sustainably. Hyundai is the first automotive company available for full end-to-end transactions in Amazon’s U.S. store and this is another example of how we continue to push for ways to elevate the customer journey together with our outstanding retail partners.”

For vehicle sales, auto dealers for the first time will be able to sell in Amazon’s U.S. store, with Hyundai being the first examples. Customers can purchase their car, then pick it up or have it delivered by their local dealership. Customers will be able to search for nearby vehicles based on the usual preferences including model, trim, color, and features. Hyundai says the new shopping experience will create another way for dealers to build awareness of themselves and their vehicles.

As for the cloud portion of the news, AWS will accelerate the company’s digital transformation, helping Hyundai compute, store and analyze the massive amounts of data it is inundated with. It will also support everything from research and development to supply chain costs.

Inside the vehicles starting in 2025, buyers will get access to the Alexa assistant. It will allow drivers to play music, podcasts, or audiobooks, set reminders, update to-do lists, and check calendars. Customers can also control any smart features in their homes with the assistant such as turning on the heat, double-checking doors are locked and managing any other smart device.

It can also control the in-vehicle media player and navigation system. Hyundai says certain Alexa features accessible even when internet connectivity is intermittent or not available.

“Our broad, strategic partnership should do just that, from changing the ease with which customers can buy vehicles online, to making it simple to use Alexa in Hyundai vehicles for entertainment, shopping, smart home adjustments, and calendar checks, to enabling Hyundai to transform their customer experiences and business operations by moving to AWS. We look forward to inventing together for many years,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in the release.

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