Samsung Electronics said on the 23rd it will launch a Car-to-Home service in partnership with Hyundai Motor Group (Hyundai Motor, Kia) that lets drivers control home appliances from their vehicles.
Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, Kia launched a Home-to-Car service in Sep. last year that lets users control vehicles from home. On this day, they expanded the service area by unveiling Car-to-Home, which connects the home and vehicle in both directions. The Home-to-Car service lets users check vehicle status with the SmartThings app and control functions such as climate control, ignition, door lock and unlock, and start and stop of electric vehicle charging.
With the Car-to-Home service, drivers can remotely control devices connected to SmartThings—such as air conditioners, air purifiers, robot vacuums, and lights—by touching the screen in the vehicle. Certain air conditioner models manufactured in 2021 or later, and certain air purifier and robot vacuum models manufactured in 2024 or later, support the Car-to-Home service.
Customers using Hyundai Bluelink and Kia Connect services can scan the QR code of the SmartThings app installed in the vehicle's infotainment system with a smartphone to link their SmartThings account and use the Car-to-Home service. It is available on Hyundai Motor and Kia mass-production vehicles from Nov. 2022 onward with the ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment platform. Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to expand the range of compatible vehicles through sequential software (SW) updates going forward.
SmartThings' Smart Routine feature, which can run automatically based on location information, can also be used in the vehicle in the same way. When a returning vehicle gets close to home, "returning home mode" can turn on the lights while the air purifier manages indoor air quality. It can also be used to turn on the air conditioner in advance when heading home in summer.
Vice President Jeong Jae-yeon of Samsung Electronics' AI Platform Center SmartThings Team said, "The launch of this Car-to-Home service goes beyond simply adding a feature and lets customers fully enjoy a single daily routine across the two spaces of home and vehicle."