Hyundai, Kia, Samsung Partner to Offer Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car Services

It's no longer a distant dream for Kia and Hyundai car owners to connect their vehicles and homes. Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation, and Samsung Electronics have forged a partnership to bolster future lifestyles that demand smooth connectivity between homes and cars. The Korean automakers will link Samsung's 'SmartThings' IoT (Internet of Things) technology to their connected car services. As a result, the owners of Hyundai and Kia cars will have the ability to remotely operate digital appliances through voice and touch commands via the infotainment systems in their cars. Also, the users will be able to remotely manage several automotive functions using TVs, AI speakers, and smartphone apps. 

 It's vital to note that Hyundai and Kia have already been providing Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services through partnerships with telecom and construction firms. The Car-to-Home service is available for six items: lighting, plugs, gas shut-off valves, ventilation, air conditioning, and boilers. The Home-to-Car service, on the other hand, is accessible for vehicle air conditioning, remote start, and charging of EVs. However, with the formation of the automakers' new relationship with tech giant, Samsung, the range of connectivity features under these two services will increase. 

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Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai and Kia’s Infotainment Development Center said “This is an opportunity to make the connected car’s Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services more convenient in various fields.'' 

He added, “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 commented on the partnership, and said ''This collaboration will enable communication from Home-to-Car and integrated home energy management services that are optimized for future lifestyles''. He further said ''By connecting the SmartThings platform with vehicles, we’ll be able to significantly enhance the customer experience in both the home and the car.”

Hyundai, Kia, and Samsung Partnership: What's More?

The owners of Hyundai and Kia vehicles can connect their vehicles and their homes by activating the 'Home Mode' function. This will activate the home's registered air conditioner, air purifier, robot vacuum cleaner, and lights. On the other side, when they leave, they have the option to enable the 'Away Mode', to turn off unnecessary lights, pre-cool the car's air conditioning, and maintain the space tidy by turning on the robot vacuum cleaner and more.

Additionally, the customers of Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles can keep the tab on the use of energy in both their homes and vehicles and adjust the charging time with the help of the SmartThings' integrated home energy management service.

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Hyundai and Kia are working together not only for local customers but also aim to expand globally and provide these cutting-edge services to clients throughout the world. To accomplish this, the auto giants will create more reliable infotainment systems that can support these services, and offer these capabilities to existing vehicles through USB-based and over-the-air (OTA) updates.