LOS ANGELES (Bloomberg) -- Hyundai Motor Co. said owners of its new Genesis sedan will be able to use Google Inc.’s Glass for “pre-drive” operations such as remote starts and route planning as automakers add more technology to lure buyers.
Hyundai will offer an application designed for Glass and other “wearable” electronic devices starting with the 2015 Genesis, the South Korean automaker said Thursday in a statement. The feature is an extension of Hyundai’s current Blue Link in-car system that provides diagnostic and maintenance services, the company said.
The Glass application is only “for pre-drive operations -- not when you’re behind the wheel,” Miles Johnson, a company spokesman, said in a telephone interview. “The goal is that when you get to the car to start your trip, the drive is less stressful.”
Hyundai’s plans follow similar intentions by Nissan Motor Co. and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz to integrate wearable data devices with their vehicles. Google released technical specifications for its Glass computing device in April 2013 to encourage software developers to create applications for the Web-enabled spectacles.
Google, expanding beyond its core search-engine business, has been investing in Glass as it bets consumers will shift more attention to wireless devices that let them easily snap photos, check e-mails or listen to music without the aid of smartphones or traditional computers.
Hyundai will demonstrate the Glass-enabled system Jan. 6 in Las Vegas, before the start of the International CES technology trade show, said Johnson, who declined to elaborate on specific features.
