Skills add even more functionality and capabilities to the Alexa experience. Developers have already built thousands of skills in India, and now we’re seeing companies investing in Alexa skills that are developed specifically for people on the go. From remotely controlling your vehicle to finding parking and entertainment options, these skills are designed to help across your entire journey. Here are a few examples:
The Honda Connected Car skill is the first connected car skill in India and provides remote capabilities for the latest Honda City 5th Generation. With this skill, you can connect to your car while you are at home. The skill provides the customers 10 unique voice-based commands including turning on the air conditioning to cool down the cabin, checking on the status of the door locks, or even asking about pricing for other Honda vehicles.
The skill is available through the Alexa Companion App, Echo Devices, Alexa Built-In and Alexa enabled smart devices in India in two accents: India English and US English. This skill was built using the Alexa Skills Kit, making it easy for developers to provide a seamless connected experience for customers.
Mr. Rajesh Goel, SVP & Director, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) says, “We have built the skill as part of our Connected Car Strategy, where the peace of mind and convenience of our customers is supreme. In line with that objective, Alexa Skills have helped our customers operate certain car functions, check on car status, and inquire about Honda Cars India without the need for a physical key or mobile device because you can simply utilize your voice. In order to ensure secure remote operations, customers can easily set up a PIN that is linked with their phone number to establish authenticity.”
The ParkingRhino skill provides parking location information and directions to the closest parking facility. Just select location and drive to an available parking space nearby. ParkingRhino covers over 4 million parking spaces in 17 cities including Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla and Gangtok. ParkingRhino encompasses both secured as well as roadside parking spots from multiple locations including bus stations, railway stations, public parking and airports.
There are also many options for entertainment during your drive, from interactive games to music skills to news skills. Audible Suno is one example where you can listen to hundreds of stories and audio series. Audible Suno offers more than 100 original and exclusive series in both Hindi and English. Each show is comprised of short, easy-to-digest episodes.
Do you want to explore more Alexa skills? You can see the thousands of skills here. Or, if you want to build your own Alexa skill for automotive, check our Best Practices. We are always looking for great ideas to help make the drive easier and more fun.
