In a big move, BMW has joined forces with Amazon to roll out Alexa+ technology as the backbone of its next-gen in-car voice assistant. This updates promise a smarter AI experience that can understand natural conversations much better than before.
Amazon showcased Alexa+ back in February 2025, billed as a sophisticated upgrade to its well-loved voice assistant. With tech that competes with big names like ChatGPT and Gemini, Alexa+ is first set to run on Amazon’s Echo devices but aims to handle a whole bunch of tasks that make life easier.
It’s important to understand that this isn’t just about moving Alexa into the car; instead, it’s about enabling BMW to harness the impressive tech behind Alexa. BMW wants to offer a superior AI experience while maintaining its long-standing link to Alexa.
A fun fact: BMW was the very first brand to embrace an option called Alexa Custom Assistant, making the most of this tech for its drivers. The latest enhancement involves integrating Alexa+ technology into the Custom Assistant, taking advantage of some nifty new capabilities.
“Using Amazon’s advanced AI with Alexa+, we’ve developed an intelligent assistant that gives you that unique BMW feel, while providing the top-notch service our customers expect,” said Jörn Freyer, who oversees user interaction at BMW.
With access to 70 different language models and smart AI functionalities, this assistant allows users to delegate specific tasks, such as booking a table at a restaurant.
BMW first introduced its updated voice assistant back in 2018, allowing drivers to command their car with “Hey BMW,” and the launch wowed many, showing that the brand was aiming for something personalized rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
Personalization matters significantly to BMW; they’re not keen on letting tech giants like Google or Apple dictate the in-car experience.
In past statements, BMW has emphasized its intent to control what happens inside its vehicles while keeping customer data safe. Even though they support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, they won’t switch to Apple CarPlay Ultra, which fully changes the car’s interface to an Apple design.
BMW is set on prioritizing its unique systems — so that when you hop into a BMW, you feel that distinct BMW vibe. This aligns with their push toward bigger displays, more immersive AR features, and enhanced intelligence.
Thanks to the collaboration with Alexa+ and the existing Alexa Custom Assistant, BMW doesn’t have to start from scratch to upgrade its voice assistant.
We can expect to see this new assistant making its debut in BMW models shortly, although details on which specific models will be first to receive this upgrade, or if older models will also get it, are still under wraps.
