Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Samsung, Tesla join forces for home, EV energy management
This concept image shows how users of Samsung Electronics’ IoT platform SmartThings Energy will be able to monitor Tesla’s electric car, home energy storage and solar panel. Samsung said on Friday that it agreed with Tesla to launch an integrated service that it will introduce at the upcoming CES tech trade show next week. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Baek Byung-yeul
Samsung Electronics and Tesla agreed to collaborate in electric vehicles (EVs) and home energy management, making it possible to check the charging status of Tesla's EV batteries and the amount of power generated by solar panels on Samsung’s Internet of Things (IoT) platform SmartThings Energy, Samsung said Friday.
Through this collaboration, Samsung's SmartThings Energy will be connected to Tesla's solar panels, home energy storage device Powerwall and EVs, allowing users to monitor and control the amount of electricity through the app.
“Tesla Energy’s customers can now manage and monitor the power status of their homes through SmartThings Energy and Samsung devices in addition to the Tesla app, ensuring more access and connectivity,” Park Chan-woo, executive vice president of Samsung, said. “This new collaboration is a key milestone for Samsung Electronics in making our solution more widely available beyond home appliances.”
Samsung said that it will allow visitors to experience the ongoing collaboration with the U.S. EV giant at the CES tech trade show in Las Vegas, starting Jan. 9. The company added that the collaboration between the two companies will begin in the U.S. from the second quarter of this year.
This concept image shows Samsung Electronics’ SmartThings Energy feature integrated with Tesla’s Powerwall home energy storage system. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Also, by linking with Tesla's Storm Watch app, users can receive notifications on Samsung TVs or mobile devices during bad weather such as typhoons or heavy snow.
Not only that, but before or during a power outage, the AI Energy Mode of SmartThings is activated to automatically reduce the power consumption of connected appliances, helping to extend the usage time of Powerwall.
Samsung has been working on expanding its alliance for its SmartThings platform to offer consumers more connected experience both at home and outside. On Thursday, Samsung announced it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Motor Group to develop a home-to-car and car-to-home IoT service.
Through the collaboration, users of Samsung’s SmartThings app will be able to operate air conditioning, open doors and activate other systems of vehicles made by Hyundai Motor and Kia. Conversely, they will be able to control home appliances from their cars using SmartThings.