One Day, Cars Will Connect With Your Fridge and Your Heartbeat

But cars more fully integrated into the so-called internet of things -- everyday devices able both to send and receive data -- could become more of a seamless piece of the daily digital fabric of people's lives. Even now, Amazon's voice-activated home assistant, Alexa, can order up an Uber ride or find out how much gas is in a car's tank while the driver is still in the house. BMW announced this month that its Connected services would enable Alexa owners to lock the car doors and check car battery levels from the comfort of their sofas. Ford Motor plans to introduce Alexa integration into vehicles, including the Escape and Fusion, before the end of this year, said James A. Buczkowski, who oversees advanced engineering at Ford. "Your spouse could add things to the shopping list, which your car would alert you to," Mr. Buczkowski said.