BMW Executive Has Prophetic Vision of a World Without Car Keys
Way back when the sun first rose on the automobile, hand cranking was the preferred way to start an engine. Keys didn’t really come into fashion until magneto and coil-operated ignition systems were mainstreamed. But the car key has evolved since its infancy as a finely shaped lump of metal. Modern keys aren’t even keys in the traditional sense, they’re short-range radio transmitters with a transponder chip that disarms a vehicle immobiliser.
BMW is reassessing the practical value of car keys entirely, according to Ian Robertson, the company’s board member responsible for sales. Robertson, struck with the divine sight, envisions a hypothetical world where your smartphone performs double duty — eliminating the need to lug around the extra nine grams of metal associated with car keys.
“Honestly, how many people really need it,” Robertson said in an interview with Reuters at the Frankfurt Motor Show, explaining that drivers no longer have to physically insert their key in the ignition.
“They never take it out of their pocket, so why do I need to carry it around?” Robertson continued, adding that BMW is considering getting rid of keys altogether. “We are looking at whether it is feasible, and whether we can do it. Whether we do it right now or at some point in the future, remains to be seen.”
Since the industry has seen fit to bestow us with keyless solutions that require needlessly bulky fobs, not having to carry a pager-sized device would be nice. However, some of us miss the days when physical keys were more prevalent. While not the most elegant of solutions, they slotted nicely onto a ring with every other key our lives dictate we carry and used to include a small optional remote for locking and unlocking doors.
The upside is that, since so few automakers want to scale down keyless remotes to a rational size, only using your phone would free up some pocket space. However, the downside is you would be utterly stranded if your phone lost power or suffered a fatal drop to the pavement.
Robertson’s discussion indicates BMW is only toying with the idea but it has actually progressed a lot further than that. BMW’s i Remote App for the Samsung Gear smartwatch took top honors at the CES Innovation Awards in 2015. Synced to one of the brand’s electric vehicles, the app can monitor charge, regulate climate, or act as a digital key. It’s not the only automaker that’s dabbled in this technology, either. Other companies have already rolled out apps that allow owners to better-connect with their vehicles. Even the more working-class Hyundai Blue Link system allows smartphone users to remotely lock, unlock, and start their vehicle.
[Image: BMW]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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Any vehicle with electronic ignition would be disabled in a nuclear attack. You would have to have an older vehicle with points and condenser. All our computer systems and our utilities would be knocked out as well. The Amish would survive since they live off the grid. Hopefully a nuclear attack won't happen. Most of us are dependent on technology. Cannot work without a computer and high speed internet.
"smartphone performs double duty" No, I'm not giving Western Intelligence more of my information.