The key to a more seamless experience is not a key
Enabling seamless integration to people’s everyday lives is one of Polestar’s key missions. Our cars are tailored to reduce the gap between driver and car, stripping away nonessential elements. And given that car keys have proven to be an easily lost or forgotten object in people’s everyday life for over a century, we figured it was time to let them go.
That’s why our latest over-the-air update offers a new digital key technology (beta), allowing Polestar 2 drivers to use their connected smartphone as a replacement for the traditional key fob.
“The Polestar Digital Key is one of our most anticipated features, because the convenience of not having to carry a physical key is invaluable,” comments Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. “Being able to use your phone as the key makes sense especially in an age where our phones take care of most of our daily needs already, and it’s the one device you always carry with you.”
From within an arm’s length, strategically positioned sensors around the car can pinpoint the position of the phone, allowing the doors, tailgate or charging lock button to be opened or activated. In order to hit the road, preventing unintended starting, the paired phone needs to be inside the Polestar 2.
Other than convenience, the digital key is also deemed a lot safer than a traditional key fob and is immune to so-called relay attacks* as it does not operate on a radio frequency.
To ensure accuracy, secure authentication and ease of use when accessing and starting the car, 18 Bluetooth sensors in and around the vehicle communicate with the paired phone once it’s within the physical range of the sensors. The digital key itself is encrypted within the Polestar app on the paired phone.
Polestar Digital Key (beta) is automatically available in the updated app but cannot be used until the latest vehicle software has been installed.
Evidently, the fob has had its day. And in our journey towards becoming a seamless integration to people’s everyday lives, this will therefore be remembered as a key(less) moment.
*A relay attack is when someone with a signal relaying device intercepts and relays the message from the key fob to the car in order to gain access.
