Volvo Plans to Replace Car Keys with a Smartphone App

Volvo plans to rid some its cars of keys by 2017. 

The Swedish brand will offer customers an application for their phone that replaces the key. Using Bluetooth, the digital key can communicate with the car and using the app the driver can unlock the doors, trunk and start the engine.

A pilot program testing the digital keys will launch in spring 2016 at Volvo’s car sharing firm Sunfleet, located in Gothenburg, Sweden. A “limited number” of Volvo’s production cars available to the public will be equipped with the digital key technology starting in 2017.

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Volvo says that this will allow you to have more than one digital key on you app, allowing you to access different Volvo vehicles in multiple locations. For example, if you rent a car, the digital ket could be uploaded to your phone remotely.

Car owners will be able to send their digital keys to other people using their phone, so that friends, family or co-workers can also access the vehicle.

For those not interested, Volvo says that physical keys will still be given upon request.

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