I'm really curious how this will pan out. In Europe (or at least here in The Netherlands, not 100% sure about the other countries) we can't use the Nest thermostat because our central heating boilers and thermostats use the OpenTherm protocol. (http://www.opentherm.eu/)
Also, most boilers in Europe are of the modulating kind (not a simple on/off switch, but a more graduate gas consumption. Side note: I really don't get why they don't have this in the US. It's so much more efficient...).
So, we can't use Nest. Apple and Quirky announced they'll be working with Philips and Honeywell, two companies that do offer modulating, OpenTherm thermostats. No word on if they're actually going to integrate OpenTherm, though. I'll be following this closely!
I'm curious as well. It's very nice that the Mercedes integration is in theory just an app, but like you I don't have a house that's compatible with Nest.
It would be really nice though if there was an open protocol for this stuff. I'd like my car/phone to tell my house that I'm on my way, even if I'm not using anything Nest-like.
Sadly, a sense of realism tells me open protocols aren't really what any manufacturers have in mind. So far it's all tightly integrated walled gardens.
I think they had to change the design for the UK (compared with the US model), but it was more to do with the electricity supply than the boiler design.
Also, most boilers in Europe are of the modulating kind (not a simple on/off switch, but a more graduate gas consumption. Side note: I really don't get why they don't have this in the US. It's so much more efficient...).
So, we can't use Nest. Apple and Quirky announced they'll be working with Philips and Honeywell, two companies that do offer modulating, OpenTherm thermostats. No word on if they're actually going to integrate OpenTherm, though. I'll be following this closely!