Your Next Volvo May Not Come With A Key

The Swedish automaker announced this past week that will offer customers a smartphone application that will take the place of a key. The application communicates with the car via Bluetooth and can unlock the doors, open the trunk, and start the vehicle. Volvo says this application can allow owners to share the digital key with friends and family members can access the vehicle. You can also have multiple keys in the application such as a key to a Volvo vehicle you are renting.

"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. 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," said Henrik Green, Vice President Product Strategy & Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Cars.

Volvo will begin testing the digital key later this year through their car sharing firm, Sunfleet in Gothenburg, Sweden. A year later, Volvo will offer the technology on a "limited number" of vehicles. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of a digital key, Volvo says they will still offer physical keys.