Renault develops tech that connects car to smart home

Renault has developed a new car-to-home connectivity service that aims to help its cars “blend into” its customers’ digital lives, Autocar reads.

Created in collaboration with Otodo, a French smart home connectivity company, the service allows drivers to control smart-capable objects in their home from their car and vice versa.

Drivers can select one of two options: Leaving Home, which puts their home to sleep (by reducing thermostats and turning off lights, for example) and Arriving Home, which switches devices back on. These are selected from the vehicle’s dashboard and can be customised to include different items or features via a smartphone app.

The service will be available in all Renault cars that have the latest Easy Link system, including the new Zoe, Clio and Captur.

Jean-François Labal, marketing and partnership head for connected cars and services at Renault, said: “With this service, we’re offering our customers a trailblazing experience and a completely secure system to connect their home’s connected objects to their vehicle. The interface to set it up is very intuitive, and it comes with two advantages: it’s automatic, so it makes life simpler, and it saves energy by switching lights and heating on and off as needed.”