Hyundai is partnering with a company called Xevo, and together they’re working on a system to allow customers to find and pay for coffee, fuel and parking using their car’s infotainment screen.
Although for many Xevo may not be a familiar name, the company is actually the global leader as far as data-driven user experiences for the automotive industry are concerned. Its groundbreaking product is Xevo Market, which is a merchant-to-driver commerce platform that uses the infotainment screen in a vehicle dashboard.
Xevo Market was launched at the end of last year and is already available in millions of vehicles. To begin with, Market will pretty much be restricted to helping Hyundai owners find and pay for coffee, fuel and parking. Eventually though, these services could expand to include the likes of restaurant reservations, ordering takeout food ahead of arriving, roadside pick-up and EV charging, all from the convenience of sitting in a Hyundai.
Manish Mehrotra, the director of digital business planning and connected operations at Hyundai Motor America explains: “These new services work with the Hyundai Blue Link connected-car system to enhance the driving experience. This is why we have selected scenarios that are part of daily drives and longer trips. Offering this level of convenience is part of our ongoing effort to create best-in-class ownership experiences.
“Once our owners experience placing a to-go order using their vehicle’s touchscreen and seamlessly routing to the location, we know they’re going to love it. Offering easy-to-use payment options as part of navigation will simplify the driving experience and maximize time spent with eyes on the road.”
Xevo is also working to help create the Hyundai Wallet payment platform, which is a system that will securely store the customer’s credit and debit card or PayPal account information. In the US where the systems will arrive first, these experiences and features will have to comply with the industry’s accepted distracted driving guidelines. That means some features may not be available when the car is being driven, and what’s on offer could differ considerably when they appear in Europe and elsewhere. — AFP Relaxnews
