Car Keys No More
As a driver, you have probably experienced lost or misplaced car keys at some point in time. Needless to say, it was likely a headache no one enjoys. Chances are that you may have even needed the help of an auto locksmith company to get a replacement key.
Now, an innovative solution may render key fobs a thing of the past.
What wizardry are we speaking of? Well, in two words, mobile apps.
Mobile Apps instead of Car Keys
A few automakers have already developed apps that let you remote-start, lock, and open your car doors. However, you still require an actual key to drive the vehicle.
Recently, Volvo announced its intention to replace key fobs with mobile apps.
How is this different from the key system currently in use? That is a good question.
If Volvo succeeds in the realization of the avant-garde concept, your car will recognize your mobile phone as a key fob. Basically, in the not so distant future, you can fully operate your car, at a push of a button on your phone.
The new technology will have several advantages to the current key option.
The first advantage is the convenience of not having to bring a key with you. Let’s discuss the options.
The Benefits of the New Keyless Technology
No risk of losing your keys: Since you will only need an app to operate your vehicle, you will never worry about misplacing your keys. Why is that? Well, because you won’t be juggling physical keys. Your mobile is your key.
Car Sharing: Should a family member or a friend ask to borrow your car, instead of fretting about them losing or damaging your car keys, you will be able to share your digital key with them. Moreover, it matters little where you are, you can lend your car to someone from anywhere in the globe, from a distance.
Painless Car Rental: In order to drive away in your rental car, you need to personally receive the car keys. But with the ingenious keyless technology, you can book and pay for a car online and download a digital key to operate it. Furthermore, you can find your car using GPS, which lets you skip waiting at car rental desks. If you have ever had to deal with the long wait lines for a rental car at an airport, you can appreciate how saving time here can be a huge advantage. Also, rental car companies have the potential to do away with the rental desk completely, saving them the cost of staffing the booth and the rental fee of the booth as well.
Most of the above benefits sound both practical and realistic to implement today. However, almost every innovation comes with its risks.
Risks of the Keyless Solution
At first glance, the no-key technology sounds like an ideal alternative to traditional keys. Nevertheless, two pitfalls may create some hesitation for car owners.
Losing or damaging your mobile phone: As in the case of key fobs, you may misplace, lose, or even break your phone. What happens then? A system would need to be put in place for you to still operate your vehicle in some fashion while protecting the security of the vehicle.
Let’s discuss a possible scenario of losing or damaging your phone.
Imagine you are camping with family and had an emergency that requires driving to a hospital immediately. Just when you were running to your car, you drop your phone and the screen breaks. If you can’t use your phone to operate the car, or even open the vehicle, how do you get to your destination?
Someone hacking your phone: With a digital key, you’ll worry about someone stealing your car by means of hacking your mobile phone or app. Car thieves will no longer have to pick a lock or break into a car to steal it. Instead, they’ll only need to enlist the help of a gifted hacker to take possession of a vehicle. Because of this risk, digital encryption technology will need to be airtight for this to become mainstream.
The Bottom Line
While keyless entry and operation technology would be much more convenient, potential risks create enough of a roadblock to prevent this from becoming an everyday option tomorrow. Mind you, these issues are likely being addressed as we speak, and we should see some version of this tested in the near future.
In the short term, it is likely that the physical key will stick around for a while.
And who knows? Perhaps we are going to witness the day when an auto locksmith will turn into an auto “Mobile” Smith.
If you want to contact Chicago Car Keys for auto locksmith services, please call (773) 521 7000 or fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also visit our physical locksmith shop at 4346 W 51st St, Chicago, IL 60632, United States.
