Benzinga | Sep 16, 2020 08:19AM EDT

Cerence Reports Volkswagen Selected Co. To Power Voice Control In New Fully Electric ID.3

Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ:CRNC), AI for a world in motion, today announced that Volkswagen selected Cerence to power the innovative voice assistant in Volkswagen's new, fully electric ID.3, the first in the automaker's new generation of electric vehicles.

Incorporating Cerence Drive products and innovations and summoned with a simple, "Hello ID," the ID.3 in-car assistant delivers voice-powered control for all key in-car functions, including music and media, navigation, heating and air conditioning, phone calls and messaging. Cerence provided core embedded and cloud technologies to power the assistant, including intelligent, natural speech recognition; human-like language output; and speech signal enhancement to accurately identify who in the car is talking.

In addition, Cerence Drive integrates with ID. Light, an LED strip that runs across the cockpit to assist the driver by changing color according to its current function and driving conditions. ID. Light lets drivers and passengers know that the voice assistant is listening through a light signal that indicates that it is awake and listening.

In a prepared statement, Volkswagen commented, "ID.3 is about the future -- a new and pioneering design, long ranges, and a sleek and innovative in-car experience. We are proud to have Cerence as our partner as we look to create a safe, high-quality in-cabin experience with intelligent design and visionary technology at its core."

"The car of the future is increasingly buttonless, with new modalities of interaction taking center stage in the in-car experience," said Sanjay Dhawan, CEO, Cerence. "Voice control, especially in combination with Volkswagen's new, innovative ID. Light feature, will help enhance safety, productivity and entertainment for ID.3 drivers and passengers in a new generation of the Volkswagen in-car experience."

The first Volkswagen ID.3 vehicles, which are available in Europe only, are slated to be delivered to customers in October 2020. To learn more, visit https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/id3-4984.

To learn more about Cerence, visit www.cerence.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.