Volvo plans to become the world’s first car manufacturer to offer cars without keys from 2017, as he automotive company is launching an application for mobile phones to replace the physical key with a digital key.
The innovative Bluetooth-enabled digital key technology, will offer Volvo customers far more flexibility, enabling them to benefit from entirely new ways to use and share cars.
In 2015 the Swedish premium carmaker launched a commercial offer to have online shopping delivered directly to the car, by providing a one-time digital key to a delivery company. Volvo announced the new service in February 2014 and premiered this technology at the Mobile World Congress.The delivery service started off in 2015 under the name “roam delivery service”.
Now the digital key technology will also be made available for customers.
Physical keys will continue to be offered for people who want them.
Volvo is showing this innovative keyless car technology at the Mobile World Congress, to be held in Barcelona (Spain) from 22nd to 25th February.
More than locking and unlocking, a whole new landscape for car sharing
The new Volvo app enables the digital key on the customer’s mobile phone to do everything a physical key currently does, such as locking or unlocking the doors or the boot and allowing the engine to be started. But the new technology will also offer customers the possibility to receive more than one digital key on their app allowing them to access different Volvo cars in different locations – according to their changing mobility needs.
Using the app people could potentially book and pay for a rental car anywhere in the world and have the digital car key delivered to their phone immediately. On arrival a customer could simply locate the rental car via GPS, unlock it and drive away, avoiding those frustrating queues at airport or train station car rental desks.
Volvo owners will be able, as well, to send their digital key to other people via their mobile phones so that the recipients can also use the car, might they be family members, friends or co-workers in a company.
New ideas to use the keyless car technology will be welcomed
“At Volvo we are not interested in technology for the sake of technology. New technology has to make our customers’ lives easier and save them time. Mobility needs are evolving and so are our customers’ expectation to access cars in an uncomplicated way,” said Henrik Green, Vice President Product Strategy & Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Cars. “Our innovative digital key technology has the potential to completely change how a Volvo can be accessed and shared. Instead of sitting idle in a parking lot the entire day, cars could be used more often and efficiently by whoever the owner wishes.”
“There are obviously many permutations when it comes to how this shared key technology can be used,” added Martin Rosenqvist, New Car Director, Special Products at Volvo Cars. “We look forward to seeing how else this technology might be used in the future and we welcome any and all ideas.”
Image over the headline.- Volvo Cars’ world first application for mobile phones to replace the physical key with a digital key. The innovative Bluetooth-enabled digital key technology enables customers to lock or unlock the doors and start the engine but also to share a digital key with others or to receive a digital key. (PRNewsFoto/Volvo Car Group)
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