Digital Car Keys Help Enable Many Consumer, Commercial Use Cases

With the deployment of digital car keys becoming more widespread, a growing number of consumers are discovering their value. 

The ability to open and start vehicles with a smartphone and mobile app allows them to access their vehicle more easily and share that access with others, including family, friends and even businesses. 

The companies that have deployed digital keys note that consumers often have their mobile phone readily at hand, while the same may not be true of physical keys or fobs. With a digital key enabled on a mobile phone, users need only put the phone near the vehicle’s door handle. 

For example, BMW offers this capability with both iPhones and, more recently, Android smartphones. 

Read more: Google’s Android Digital Car Key Debuts on BMWs, With More Cars on the Way 

“With the BMW Digital Key, customers can easily unlock and lock their BMW simply by holding their smartphone next to the handle of the driver’s door,” BMW explained in a press release. “The engine can also be started when the mobile phone is placed in the BMW wireless charging compartment.”

Hands-free access to the car can be a further benefit. When Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology is deployed, users can keep the phone wherever they normally carry it, rather than having to take it out and hold it near the door handle. 

In a white paper released in January, the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) said another use case for digital keys is that they could be configured to enable some functions while disabling others, such as starting the engine. 

Sharing Keys With Family, Friends and Businesses

Digital keys can also be shared. Without having to hand off a physical key or fob, vehicle owners can enable others to unlock and start the vehicle. 

The CCC suggested this feature could be used in various ways, such as giving friends access to the vehicle while the owner is out of town, or giving a child access to a vehicle without starting the engine. Additionally, the feature could support commercial applications, such as fleet, ridesharing and rentals.

For example, the Hyundai Digital Key allows the primary user to share access with three other users. “You can actually send someone a ‘shared key’ from clear across the country,” Hyundai explains on its website for owners. 

Terminating Access When No Longer Needed 

Together with being shared, digital keys can be terminated and suspended. In its white paper, the CCC said this can be used to end access when a previously-allowed user no longer needs it, when a mobile device has been stolen or when the vehicle has been sold.

While taking advantage of the many benefits of digital keys, current users have also found that it’s a good idea to have a key fob or key card on hand as a backup. 

Among the things that can cause trouble when trying to access a digital key app are underground parking lots and areas with high-traffic Wi-Fi connections. 

See also: Tesla Drivers Learn What Happens When Connected Cars Meet a Software Outage