Volvo Cars - the First Carmaker to Launch a Car Without a Key

PR63478

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Feb. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- With Photo

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.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7761852-volvo-phone-as-key/

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 boot 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.

Using the app people could potentially book and pay for a rental car anywhere

in the world and have the digital car key delivered to their phone immediately.

On arrival a customer could simply locate the rental car via GPS, unlock it and

drive away, avoiding those frustrating queues at airport or train station car

rental desks.

Volvo Cars' digital key means that sharing a car will become both simple and

convenient. Volvo owners will be able to send their digital key to other people

via their mobile phones so that they can also use the car, this may be family

members, friends or co-workers in a company.

"At Volvo we are not interested in technology for the sake of technology. New

technology has to make our customers' lives easier and save them time. Mobility

needs are evolving and so are our customers' expectation to access cars in an

uncomplicated way," said Henrik Green, Vice President Product Strategy &

Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Cars. "Our innovative digital key technology

has the potential to completely change how a Volvo can be accessed and shared.

Instead of sitting idle in a parking lot the entire day, cars could be used

more often and efficiently by whoever the owner wishes."

Volvo will pilot this technology in spring 2016 via its car sharing firm

Sunfleet, stationed at Gothenburg airport, Sweden. A limited number of

commercially available cars will be equipped with the new digital key

technology in 2017.

"There are obviously many permutations when it comes to how this shared key

technology can be used," added Martin Rosenqvist, New Car Director, Special

Products at Volvo Cars. "We look forward to seeing how else this technology

might be used in the future and we welcome any and all ideas."

Volvo is a pioneer with new digital key solutions. In 2015 the Swedish premium

carmaker launched the world's first commercial offer to have online shopping

delivered directly to the car, by providing a one-time digital key to a

delivery company. Now the digital key technology will also be made available

for customers.

Physical keys will continue to be offered for people who want them.

Volvo's innovative keyless car technology will be shown for the first time at

the Mobile World Congress 2016 (22-25 February) in Barcelona at the Ericsson

booth.

Note to Editors:

A pictures accompanying this release is available through the PA Photowire. It

can be downloaded from http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or viewed at

http://www.mediapoint.press.net or http://www.prnewswire.co.uk .

Contact:

Sascha Heiniger

Communication Manager Connected Car

T +46-723-717961

sascha.heiniger@volvocars.com

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140522/683630 )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160218/335036)

Source: Volvo Car Group