Volvo Cars Tests Replacing Keys with Smart Phone App

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For decades, drivers have been accustomed to accessing and driving cars with physical keys. But no longer. In a ground-breaking move for the automotive industry, Volvo Cars plans to become the world’s first car manufacturer to offer cars without keys from 2017. Volvo customers will be offered an application for their 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.

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 trunk and allowing the engine to be started. This 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.
 
for decades, i have been running around trying to find my damn keys. I might like this, just I am not a huge fan of volvos.
 
I find this to be a horrible idea. If I forget my keys are in my pocket while playing in a lake, I can still start my car. Not so much if I forget my phone is in my pocket, while playing in a lake.

I would hope you still have keys with the option of using a phone app.
 
Yeah, this is a bad idea. Tech is becoming too integrated into our lives. This, driverless cars, the removal of a standard transmission as an option on most vehicles, Nannie chips, etc are making it so that the market for good used, non tech cars is prime for an upswing and thus an increase in value.
 
Verrrrry convenient....

Until your smart phone which requires being charged daily DIES!

dumb asses.
 
Loss your phone.. get your purse stolen. Some one steals your phone. List goes on and on. They would have to have a back up blue tooth key fob. Our so many people would be locking them selves out of driving. Also does the car check every so often to see if the key is there like my wife's anoying ass car. If I forget something in the house and run in to get it. The car yells at me because the key is out of range and will cut its self off. What if your stopped your phone battery dies and your stuck. There are so many ways thus could go bad.
 
Oh no, my battery phone is dead. Let me just get to my charger in my car...ahh, shit.
Hey, let's get valet parking. Just need to...ahh, shit.
Hey, want to borrow my car? Alright, I'll just...oh, you don't have your phone on you? Ahh, shit.
 
So, if your phone gets stolen, lost, or just stops working, not only can't you call for help, you stuck because you can't start your car. Maybe they can put a USB port on the outside of the car so you can charge your phone and then use the phone to unlock the car :)

Way to much dependence on a cell phone, and just wait until someone hacks the app and starts stealing cars.

My car has a keyless ignition, so I just have a key fob. However, if the battery in the fob is dead, it has a slide out key to unlock the door, and you can hold the fob next to the start button and it will still let you start the car. Not possible with a cell phone.
 
Oh, they are just testing. They need to make sure the car doesn't turn off while the car is being driven because the smartphone battery died.
 
This is actually genius. As long as there is a secondary / back up system still in place, like a good old fashion key.

And the possibilities for this are awesome & endless.... and hackable?

"Hey can I borrow your car? " (friend or kids)
"Sure, I'll allow you on my phone app. Ok, you can use it until 11 pm tonight. Have it back or it will be locked."
"Yep, I just receive a notification, I've been allowed on my phone. Thanks."

Or possibly an UBER type system, of loaning/carpooling with cars. (would take some serious verification though to allow people to drive a car.) This isn't just a bike sharing program in the city.
 
It's interesting and would be convenient, with the obvious problems others have pointed out about your phone dying (or lost/stolen/broken), not wanting to give your phone to someone else, or losing your bluetooth connection.
Access control systems normally use RFID key cards/fobs. Could also use NFC.

I'm not opposed to any or all of those choices, so long as there is a backup, they are required only to start the car but not to keep it running, and they can be disabled.
 
So when you drop your car off for service, will you need to give the repair shop your phone? Or will the shop or tech need to keep a copy of your app on their phone? Doesn't sound secure at all. Besides as others mentioned what if your phone is lost, stolen, damaged or dead? Possibly even hacked?
 
C-rizzle said:
This is actually genius. As long as there is a secondary / back up system still in place, like a good old fashion key.

And the possibilities for this are awesome & endless.... and hackable?

"Hey can I borrow your car? " (friend or kids)
"Sure, I'll allow you on my phone app. Ok, you can use it until 11 pm tonight. Have it back or it will be locked."
"Yep, I just receive a notification, I've been allowed on my phone. Thanks."

Or possibly an UBER type system, of loaning/carpooling with cars. (would take some serious verification though to allow people to drive a car.) This isn't just a bike sharing program in the city.
Click to expand...

But then for the backup to work you still need to carry around a key... A lot of automakers are switching to push button start systems where you just keep the key fob in your pocket to start the car. So if the item that starts the car + opens the door never needs to leave your pocket, why do you need an app to handle any of this?
 
Another problem with this "solution looking to find a problem" is that not everybody carries a so called smart phone or heck even a cell phone. Then what?
 
You just arrived at a very remote cabin after hiking up in the deep forest for hours on your 2 week vacation and you just noticed that the iPhone's battery status showing 1%.......AND the USB battery charger plug (used on a lighter outlet in your car) is back at HOME.


Oh wait a min..... it's beginning to snow...........
 
Sly said:
OT:



What? As in no more manual? Did i miss this? Where?
Click to expand...

Go try and find a truck now with a standard transmission. They are out there but as far as I know, Ford and Chevy no longer have a manual option. Dodge still does but only on 2500s and above and then I think it is a special order. Toyota has one but only on the extended cab and the four door short bed. Manual transmissions are being phased out of most consumer daily driving vehicles. I am not saying they are completely gone, but I would bet less than 5-7% of new vehicles are coming with a manual transmission from the factory without it being a special order.
 
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