Hyundai Motor offers Bluelink free to new customers in US

Hyundai Motor Co. in a world first is offering lifetime membership of its connected car care service Bluelink free to new customers in the US, judging that its desired conversion to software-defined vehicles (SDVs) is possible only by raising the number of Bluelink users and securing customer data.

Industry sources on Monday said the carmaker recently announced free Bluelink membership to buyers of new models this year like the IONIQ 6 to 2024 models that debuted on Saturday at the Chicago Auto Show, the biggest event of its kind in the US. Bluelink service in the country costs $9.99 per month but is free for the first three years after purchase.

Launched on the American market in 2011, Bluelink provides functions like remote control of door locks, temperature adjustment, navigation and digital key. Considered an indispensable service for new cars, the service is emerging as an important criterion for consumers when choosing a car brand.

Hyundai Motor's sales volume reached 780,675 units last year, thus the company's annual profit from Bluelink Link is an estimated 100 billion won ($79 million). This unconventional service that seeks customer data is in contrast to the model of the global finished car sector, which earns income through fees from connected car services that are as short as one month and as long as 10 years.

Since Hyundai Motor plans to convert all of its vehicles to SDVs by 2025, boosting the number of Bluelink users and gathering data on customer use are of the utmost importance.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com