A car that answers questions? Kia has an app for that
During the hustle and bustle of the recent EV Day, where it unveiled four new electrified machines in the EV2, EV3, EV4 and EV5, Kia also hinted at a revamped smartphone app that aims to “take the customer journey to the next level”.
Currently, Kia has multiple apps, one of which is dedicated to electric vehicle charging and routing, while the other deals with vehicle diagnostics and more. The plan with the 2024 Kia app is to consolidate it and give the entire user experience a thorough overhaul.
Charles Ryu, senior vice president and head of the Global Brand & CX Division at Kia, told TechReadar that one of the key features is an advanced AI chatbot that allows customers to ask virtually anything about the car.
Focusing on EV owners, Ryu suggested that customers can inquire about simple things, such as a vehicle’s remaining range or charging status, while more complicated requests, such as inquiring about and booking upcoming scheduled maintenance, can be made by entering conversational text enter in the app. chatbot.
In addition, vehicle telematics and driving data can be shared with insurance companies, who can then offer competitive premiums based on sensible driving behavior; all you have to do is ask the chatbot.
During a presentation we were shown some sample screenshots, with one menu clearly showing a Kia Connect Store, suggesting the company is also considering offering subscriptions for additional vehicle functionality.
Ryu wouldn’t confirm what these are, nor would he reveal who exactly Kia is working with to advance AI in its cars, but said they are working with “top generative model providers to roll out innovative services.”
“The new app coincides with the launch of our upcoming EV3 model, which will also be the first car with a generative AI assistant that allows owners to interact through regular conversations,” Ryu explains to us.
This technology, which appears to work separately from the app and will likely be used in newer generations of Kia’s infotainment system, allows customers to use the “Hey Kia!” command to activate the AI assistant.
During a dummy demonstration, Ryu went through the process of finding and booking a restaurant located along his journey. “Can you recommend a restaurant along the route that is good for children?” was one of the commands, and the chatty assistant responded with some well-considered options.
It also suggested charging points near the restaurant and could send a full itinerary to Ryu’s wife’s phone, which sounds a bit like a romance killer to us but is useful nonetheless.
Don’t leave a car behind
While the new app is heavily focused on Kia’s upcoming electric vehicles, it’s not just for those who plug in their cars to charge. We spoke to Sjoerd Knipping, Vice President of Marketing and Product at Kia, who said the app’s advanced chatbot features would work with any Kia that has an OTA (over-the-air) module.
“That’s the beauty of OTA updates: we can bring some of these new features to existing models, so customers get the same experiences as buyers of the new EV range,” he explained. “With the new app, we can offer much more to the customer and make the ownership experience overall a lot easier and more convenient.”
There’s no set date for the launch of Kia’s new app, but EV3 is scheduled for release in 2024, which is also when we’ll see Kia’s in-car AI voice assistant debut. Expect the technology to be rolled out in EV4 and EV5 as well.
Although current Kia owners could also see the AI voice assistant in their car thanks to OTA updates. But there’s no word on whether this will come at an additional cost.