User Adds Car to HomeKit for In-App Controls and Automations, Showing Future Potential

[MacRumors]

Blogger Siobhán Ellis has successfully integrated their electric car into their Apple HomeKit setup, adding in-app toggles for door locking, climate control, and more.

The setup, which is outlined in detail on the blog Practical HomeKit, allows multiple elements of a Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicle to be monitored, controlled, and automated using the Home app.

Using a HomeBridge plugin for the Jaguar InControl API called homebridge-jlr-incontrol, Ellis was able to feed data about the vehicle, such as charging status, charge level, pre-conditioning, and more, into HomeKit, as well as send back basic commands. The plugin apparently required "a fair amount" of manual configuration and presented a few warnings, but it works correctly just like many other HomeBridge-based workarounds for HomeKit.

Many functions of the vehicle, including climate control, pre-conditioning, locking and unlocking, and charging, are now viewable and controllable in the Home app from any location.

Integration into the Home app allows automations to be created based on battery level, such as automatically charging the car from a HomeKit-enabled power outlet when the battery percentage is low. Ellis also has an automation to pre-condition the temperature of the car and its batteries based on events in the Calendar app. It is also possible to automatically unlock the car at a time of day or under certain conditions.

To accompany the Apple-oriented vehicle upgrades, Ellis added wireless CarPlay. Jaguar does not support wireless CarPlay, but Ellis was able to implement the feature herself using a wireless CarPlay adapter called CPLAY2air. Ellis also mounted a MagSafe charger on the dashboard for convenient iPhone charging.

Although this setup has to be created manually via HomeBridge, it shows how it may be useful to add a vehicle to HomeKit. Integration with HomeKit opens up the possibility of creating useful Shortcuts as well as Home automations for the vehicle.

With services such as CarPlay available in most new vehicles, new services such as Car Keys expanding, and Apple collaborating with brands such as BMW and Porsche to bring Apple-integrated features to vehicles, it is not inconceivable to think that an official HomeKit integration for cars could be added in the future, especially in view of proof-of-concept projects such as this.

Article Link: User Adds Car to HomeKit for In-App Controls and Automations, Showing Future Potential

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Even used a MagSafe. That’s impressive!

 

[0815]

pretty sweet ... that is the future. Does one need this? No. Do I want this? YES.

Should try to do the same thing for my Tesla - shouldn't be too hard since Tesla has 3rd party API. Homebridge is awesome to bring unsupported devices to HomeKit (the Ring integration e.g. is even better than what Ring integrates into Alexa which is surprising since both are owned by Amazon).

EDIT: just looked on homebridge ... Tesla integration for Apple HomeKit does already exist: https://www.npmjs.com/package/homebridge-tesla

 

[arnoz]

And for those of you owning a (recent) Mercedes, there's a MercedesMe<>Homebridge integration: https://github.com/SeydX/homebridge-mercedesme

 

[0815]

And for those of you owning a (recent) Mercedes, there's a MercedesMe<>Homebridge integration: https://github.com/SeydX/homebridge-mercedesme

Homebridge is just awesome ... got so many devices working with HomeKit that were sold as 'Alexa only' or had their own 'smart' system. Just never thought of looking for my car on it.

 

[2010mini]

I definitely have to get hombridge.

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

I use homebridge with my Nest and PETKIT automatic cat feeder as well

 

[Kabeyun]

Very cool. No way I can do this kind of project, but I love that more computer-talented sorts are running with it. I see these instances more as a proof of potential, and it’s great that people are pushing boundaries. Eventually the mothership takes notice of some of these efforts and mainstreams for the rest of us what was once the wonky fringe.

 

[RedTheReader]

I had no idea this was possible. I thought HomeKit was completely locked down and nothing that didn’t have support built in could be integrated with it. If I ever get into automation and IoT, I’ll be sure to give HomeBridge a go!

 

[dannys1]

You write this like they’ve done something only they have achieved. They've installed a Homebridge plugin someone else wrote in October...Why is this article worthy? I’ve been automating my Tesla from HomeKit for 4 years as have hundreds of other people.

 

[Vspruce]

Well, i just did the same last weekend with my Volvo V60 through homebridge (https://www.npmjs.com/package/homebridge-volvo).

Although it does not have quite the same ability to se temperature, i can start the preheater though Apple Home now, and also start the engine on the car. And by starting the vehicle it will start the AC and set the temperature that i had when i last turned off the vehicle.

Would be really nice to see Apple integrating similar ability to HomeKit natively

 

[dannys1]

You write this like they’ve done something only they have achieved. Why is this article worthy? I’ve been automating my Tesla from HomeKit for 4 years

I had no idea this was possible. I thought HomeKit was completely locked down and nothing that didn’t have support built in could be integrated with it. If I ever get into automation and IoT, I’ll be sure to give HomeBridge a go!

it’s probably the most open and flexible platform there is with Homebridge. There’s more third party integration than even SmartThings or Hubitat

 

[fenderbass146]

Been using this for months on my Chevy Volt with Homebridge plugin

 

[powaking]

pretty sweet ... that is the future. Does one need this? No. Do I want this? YES.

Should try to do the same thing for my Tesla - shouldn't be too hard since Tesla has 3rd party API. Homebridge is awesome to bring unsupported devices to HomeKit (the Ring integration e.g. is even better than what Ring integrates into Alexa which is surprising since both are owned by Amazon).

EDIT: just looked on homebridge ... Tesla integration for Apple HomeKit does already exist: https://www.npmjs.com/package/homebridge-tesla

Was going to say this. I wish it offered more but for Siri integration the Stats app does offer some more useful features. I also use homebridge for myQ garage door opener and Kasa plug. Both of which do not have Homekit support integrated.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

I don’t have homebridge but the iOS Mercedes app for my E class is superb. I can even use Alexa to check stuff like fuel levels and issue commands.
I think there real opportunities for the likes of Apple to improve the likes of CarPlay functionality and integrate with Siri.
CarPlay is looking quite dated compared to the new MBUX system

 

[ThexBurning]

You write this like they’ve done something only they have achieved. Why is this article worthy? I’ve been automating my Tesla from HomeKit for 4 years!

You need a hug, bro?

 

[wlossw]

I don’t have homebridge but the iOS Mercedes app for my E class is superb. I can even use Alexa to check stuff like fuel levels and issue commands.
I think there real opportunities for the likes of Apple to improve the likes of CarPlay functionality and integrate with Siri.
CarPlay is looking quite dated compared to the new MBUX system

one small complaint with mbux is that the nav data is so bad when it comes to road closures where i live, that its basically useless.

 

[barbu]

Another +1 for Homebridge, good stuff and worth taking some time to figure it out

 

[MacBH928]

People who use homekit/smartdevices/IoT , are you not afraid someone hack into it and starts playing around with stuff?

 

[Jay3846]

If AirTags are released on April 20 (or later), might it be possible to put an AirTag in your car and have it tie into HomeKit somehow (maybe, via a Shortcut)?
It may not be particularly useful (open your garage door using a geofence?), but I’m just curious.

 

[RexerZ28]

You can do this with any OnStar (through homebridge) car as well. Been controlling my SS Camaro this way for a couple of years. Its cool walking out to my car or checking out at a store and telling my watch "Hey Siri, start the Camaro".

 

[urbanmacUser]

Did this on Hombrige with BMW plug-in about 2 years ago.

homebridge-bmw-connected

A Homebridge plugin to control BMW Connected Drive Cars. Latest version: 1.0.0, last published: 8 years ago. Start using homebridge-bmw-connected in your project by running `npm i homebridge-bmw-connected`. There are no other projects in the npm registry using homebridge-bmw-connected.

www.npmjs.com

Locking unlocking so slow as it has to go to BMW servers.

 

[CJ Dorschel]

Is there a plug-in for Audi? Would love to add my ‘20 RS5 and ‘21 S4. They both have wireless CarPlay and the app is great but would be interesting to see what Homebridge could add.

 

[Siobhan Ellis]

Oh wow. I’m the person who did this. I’m just writing a blog on what I do with home integration. Never expected this to get such wide attention.

I knew about the Tesla plug-in, as I’d told a friend of mine about it, so I wondered if there was one for the Jaaaag, and there was.

 

[_Spinn_]

This is pretty cool!