Volvo, the Swedish car company, plans to be the first car company to sell cars without physical keys. They have developed a digital key that sits in the Volvo app on their phones. Through the app, the driver can lock and unlock the car, open the truck and start the engine. Despite GM announcing a key phone app in 2010, this seems to be a major effort in taking this one step closer to reality.

The digital key has other features as well. It can be sent to other smartphones through the app allowing others to use the car without having to physically meet and exchange car keys. This removes a major obstacle involved in car sharing. The Volvo app can hold more than one digital key, which further enables smoother car sharing, but which industries will be most effected.

Car rentals

The digital key also has implications on the rental car process. Customers would no longer have to wait in line or even speak to a rental car representative. The digital key and location of their rental car can be sent directly to their phone creating a seamless process. This will also stir the competition as the car sharing will be more accessible.

Fleets

Almost every fleet, small or large is dealing with the trouble of booking cars and implementing various types of inefficient key boxes or swipe cards to access the car. Using Volvo’s technology, cars will be able to be booked and opened using one simple app for all cars and users.

Deliveries

Another application of the digital key is in the delivery service industry. Volvo has toyed with the idea of digital keys that have limited functionality and can only be used once. Delivery companies could then track where the car is and leave packages in the trunk of their car without ever meeting the customer.

Services

Accessing cars anywhere and anytime would mean that on-demand services would be able to clean, maintain, and fix our car all at once. On-demand carwashing, just step back into a clean car! I would love that. This keyless technology has many implications on how cars will be used and is a step closer to the future of car-sharing.
This technology is not the only thing Volvo has in the pipeline. They are also developing their own semi-autonomous driving technology. Volvo has also partnered with Apple and has integrated CarPlay (Read here) into several models. All in all, Volvo is making steady strides towards the future. The incremental steps will add up.

Reza Keshavarzi (Click to follow me on twitter, medium, linkedin )

Also published on Medium.