Apple, Audi, BMW agree on standard for using smartphones as car keys
The Connected Car Consortium is trying to standardizing NFC technology that would let you drive your car without a traditional key fob.
What if you could leave your bulky key fob at home and simply use that device you've always got with you -- your phone -- to unlock and drive your car? That's the goal of a new technology standard released by the Car Connectivity Consortium. It aims to standardize rules and processes for using phones as replacements for car keys.
The Digital Key 1.0 specification provides a secure way for a user to "download" a digital key onto their phone, which then uses NFC communication to unlock, lock and even start a car. The Consortium says the technology uses a "Trusted Security Manager" system to guarantee the security of the digital keys on each user's device.
The Car Connectivity Consortium counts car companies Audi , BMW, General Motors , Hyundai and Volkswagen among its members, as well as tech companies like Apple , Samsung , LG and Panasonic . Several automakers have already promised that their vehicles will support using a phone as a replacement for a key, including Audi, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz , Tesla and Volvo.
These keys could also make car sharing easier because renters wouldn't need to receive the physical keys to borrow another vehicle. Car-sharing company Turo is already experimenting with a device that can allow a car's owner to unlock it remotely with their phone.
The Consortium is now working on Digital Key 2.0, set for release in early 2019, which will offer a "standardized authentication protocol" for phones and cars. The goal of that updated standard is to make sure that various cars and mobile devices are all interoperable.