BMW is the latest carmaker to reveal imminent plans of ditching the conventional car key altogether, according to a report by Reuters. It’s a matter of convenience, apparently, which is interesting coming from BMW, considering its recent upsizing exploits with the BMW Display Key. The fancy key, with its interactive screen, is significantly larger than most car keys.
“Honestly, how many people really need it? They never take it out of their pocket, so why the need to carry it around?” asked Ian Robertson, a board member of the BMW Group. The fact that its customers all carry a smartphone, together with the availability of the BMW App (downloadable on both iOS and Android platforms) make physical key fobs old fashioned and less relevant than ever before, he added.
BMW is currently conducting feasibility studies of such tech, but no introduction date has been put forth as yet. The Bavarian company isn’t the first to come up with this, though.
Early last year, Volvo announced the exact same thing and detailed some of its benefits, including “sharing” the digital key with family members and friends via smartphones. On the commercial side of things, car rental companies can even use this feature for its customers (tourists, expats etc), removing the need for miserably long queues. Volvo, however, promises to continue providing customers with the physical key fob, just in case your phone goes bust.
Other variations of such tech are Jaguar’s Activity Key (works via an RFID chip, but this is only to lock/unlock the vehicle, not to start it), Mercedes-Benz’s Digital Car Key (uses NFC on your smartphone) and the Tesla Model 3‘s smartphone app and NFC keycard. Lexus, meanwhile, offers a traditional car key in the form of a card that can be slotted in your wallet/purse.
But just how safe is this digital car key tech, when just last year, millions of cars from the Volkswagen Group with keyless entry were found to be at risk of being hacked? If unscrupulous hackers can do it remotely for under RM100 through a pair of wireless radio transmitters, what big a risk will car owners be faced with when car keys become fully digitised as an app?
Do you think BMW is on the right track here, and which brand’s solution is your favourite so far? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Biometric + password + breath tester + voice recognition + iris scan + blood analysis should be quite secure. If like that also cannot, baik guna kunci sahaja.
So if go workshop or park using jockey, must give handphone to them also?
I think traditional key should still be available as an alternative for situation like this. Or alternatively to have a temporary password or something like that for the next few hours that can be used by a third party mobile phone. The engineers can work it out.
German car still leads in technology
Still my best friends
Smartphone become car key? Ok, ur phone is ur car, ur car is ur phone, ur smartphone stolen, car oso stolen lolz.
mestilah ada password or thumbprint/facial scan
Well it’s the same thing now, if your car key is stolen, you lose your car. and i would argue that it’s much easier to lose your car keys compared to your phone, as we are much more aware about the location of our phone at all times while we don’t really pay attention to our keys. Furthermore, if someone does steal your phone, they would have to go through your phone’s security to unlock the phone before being able to unlock your car. Which is an extra layer of security that a regular key doesn’t have.
Thumb print scan to locked/unlocked and start/stop car.
Face scan possible?
Good good..m always forgetting my keys..btw Mr BMw…try to work on removing car signal lights all well ya…they redundant as well…dont beliw? Do yr R&D here…u find we need 20 airbags..all yr fancy gizmoos…but the turn signal no need k..do of cos share yr design with others ya…tq v v much.
It’s better to have a spare key in my opinion, just imagine your car suddenly stop running because your phone battery has run out
As long as BMW doesn’t pull an Apple and make you unlock and start your car by scanning your face ala iPhone X then we are fine.
my almera dont have car key
Risk of phone out of battery, lost or damage (dropped in water). Your thumb might be stolen along with the car. With a key, you can pass your key to mechanic or valet, trouble free within seconds. Can even give to robbers, in order to save your life.
Don’t get rid! If get rid of, how can the businessman or MLM man wants to prove that they have a BMW while seating at the coffee table?