LG, Volkswagen join forces to connect smart homes to cars

LG is now working with Volkswagen to make smart homes link with cars. LG makes a variety of consumer electronics for the Internet of Things under its Smart ThinQ brand, so it's invested in getting various objects in the home to communicate well with each other.

“Connected” vehicles aren't as common yet, though, because upgrading or replacing a car tends to be more expensive than replacing a few objects around the house. So LG's new partnership with one car brand is really just the beginning, but it has a lot of promise for further integrating smart homes into our lives in the future.

The LG and Volkswagen partnership was made to develop a “connected” car platform, which will presumably start with connectivity to LG devices. Success of IoT platforms these days often relies on a critical mass of devices supporting that platform, though, so LG and Volkswagen can't be planning to do it alone.

The idea behind the platform is that it will allow users to control their smart homes from their cars. This could mean changing the thermostat temperature before arriving home, for example, or maybe turning on a light or two. Users might also be able to tap into their security system from the road. It's also not hard to imagine the connection going the other way, though. People might want to start the car from inside so it can heat up during the winter before they walk outside. Some cars already have this remote feature built into key fobs, so integrating it into smart homes isn't much of a leap.

This integration into cars is just the latest step in making smart homes controllable from virtually anywhere. Apple has been busy integrating smart home controls into all its iOS devices, Samsung is building its SmartThings platform into its TV a and Sony has even put smart home controls into a light. Smartphone and -watch controls might be most natural for many users, but vehicles are different because users have to keep their eyes on the road. Handsfree smart home operation makes a lot more sense in that setting.