The Future Of Keyless Technology
Posted 06/15/21 by Elspeth Myers
From the humble car key to keyless start technology, the advancements are ever-expanding.
In 2016 we saw BMW introduce modern displays on the dashboard of the vehicle, allowing the driver to lock and unlock the doors from 1000ft away. This development also allowed the driver to open the boot and park the car using only the touchscreen on the dashboard. Additional features were added to the touchscreen, such as setting climate control, displaying which lights are being used, whether the doors are locked, and displaying the fuel level.
Subsequently, in 2018, Tesla innovated the use of a smartphone app that mimics a proximity key. They also included a back up to this technology if the battery on your phone runs out; the driver is then able to use a credit card style key to access and drive the car. Features available to the driver are starting the engine, unlocking the doors and monitoring the battery.
Other car manufacturers are now implementing mobile apps, including General Motors, Volvo and others. With so many manufacturers offering this feature, who’s to say it won’t become the norm. We could be seeing the shift from the standard metal shaft to a digital alternative.
Despite the advances, it will be a while, if ever, before mobile apps entirely replace the physical key. There are many sceptics out there, raising issues such as poor networks, battery usage of the phone, digital security and much more.
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