Bosch research: two thirds of German drivers consider car keys inconvenient to use

Many drivers would prefer to open the car using a smartphone.

• About 40% of respondents would replace the keys to their car on the application
• The mobile application offers drivers reliability and ease of use.

Stuttgart - Seventy-six percent of Germans at some point find the use of car keys uncomfortable. These data were obtained from a representative survey conducted on behalf of Bosch by the PULS marketing research institute. Drivers under the age of 40 and those who move a lot behind the wheel of the car had a negative experience using ordinary car keys. It all starts with simple logistics: in certain situations, people do not know where to put the keys (45% of respondents). For example, 44% of respondents going to the pool put the keys in an unusual place for themselves, and it took a lot of time to search for them, and 38% of those surveyed lost their keys altogether. Only 6% of respondents consider status to see the branded key fob of the automaker. Therefore, it is not surprising that 40% of respondents have a positive attitude to the idea of ​​replacing keys with a mobile application. “The advantages of the digital key are obvious - it’s convenient, safe, and accessible anytime, anywhere,” explains Harold Kröger, President of Bosch Automotive Electronics. The company is working to create an application that will allow drivers to automatically open and start cars without using a key and without touching the smartphone. The sensor built into the car recognizes the owner of the smartphone and unlocks the car’s doors only for that person; security level is comparable to fingerprint technology. In case of loss of the smartphone, the system can be deactivated without any problems. Application settings also allow you to provide temporary access to the car to other drivers.

From smartphone to car keys

Today, most people rarely go anywhere without a smartphone. Most of them use their smartphones to take photos and videos (74%), browse the Internet (70%) and communicate via e-mail (55%). At the same time, 46% of men and 32% of women, as well as every second SUV driver, gladly accepted the prospect of using a digital application to lock the doors of a car on their smartphones. Motorists who travel from 15,001 to 20,000 km per year (49%) or more than 20,000 km per year (51%) are especially open to such a system. Moreover, every second user of keyless entry technology (54% of respondents) allows the replacement of technology with an application. Do not forget that, using the system of keyless access to the car, the driver somehow has to have the key with you - in the pocket of your trousers or jacket, or in your purse - and it is easy to lose or forget it. “In recent years, most everyday applications and devices have moved to the format of a mobile application. Ten years ago it was perfectly normal to have a separate camera and a mobile phone. Now everything has changed. It's time to replace the car keys with a smartphone, ”Kröger notes. Survey participants also see many advantages in the digital key: 30% of respondents positively assessed the possibility of deactivating the system online in the event of the loss of a smartphone. Twenty-eight percent like the idea of ​​using a smartphone to remotely lock or unlock their car. But the factor of convenience is of great importance: 40% of respondents always have their smartphone with them, and 38% believe that with an application for a smartphone they will no longer have to worry about losing their car keys

Protection of wireless and keyless entry systems from theft

Currently, most German drivers block and unlock their cars using systems whose codes can be easily intercepted. Most respondents (almost two thirds) have remote controls for the car. Although 87% of respondents consider remote controls to be safe, and 78% have a similar opinion regarding keyless entry systems, one out of every five has been the victim of a key theft or knows a person who has this experience. For data transfer, Bosch proposes to use a smartphone as a virtual key instead of LF and UHF technologies, and Bluetooth as a transmission technology.