The UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is piloting a Skill for Amazon"s Alexa that allows motorists to view information such as the tax status of their vehicles.
Alexa, Amazon"s personal assistant that has recently been added to the Amazon app for Android, is available on the Amazon Echo and the Amazon Echo Dot and as of last Thursday, UK users of these products can download the DVLA"s Vehicle Enquiry Skill.
The Skill enables Alexa to provide users with details such as when a vehicle"s tax is due, and whether its MOT, the annual mandatory roadworthiness test set by the UK"s Ministry of Transport, is due. Through the skill, Alexa will be audibly performing a service that the DVLA also offers on its website. To use the service, users must read the registration number of the vehicle to an Alexa-enabled device. Alexa will then reply to confirm the registration number, and provide the information.
Oliver Morley, the Chief Executive of the DVLA, expressed excitement at trialling the "innovative skill" in a statement on the DVLA website. Of the trial, Morley further stated:
"Providing choice in how people use our services is important to DVLA and by trialling this skill we are giving customers another way to get information quickly and easily – helping them to keep on top of their vehicle tax."
The DVLA"s Vehicle Enquiry Skill is available to enable on Alexa devices through Amazon"s Alexa Skill Store on the Amazon website.