BMW's keyless entry system is called Comfort Access. As long as BMW drivers have the Comfort Access key fob on their person, they can open doors and trunks and start their cars without inserting an actual key into an actual slot. In a world of high-tech gadgetry, Comfort Access has become a favorite option for some BMW owners, mainly because it makes locking and unlocking the car and starting the engine so effortless. In the future, even the Comfort Access fob may go away as BMW may consider replacing keys with a device almost everyone already carries—a smartphone.
Dr. Ian Robertson is the BMW AG Board of Management member for BMW sales and is usually a pretty good source for what the executives at BMW may be thinking. In a recent interview with Reuters at the 2017 Frankfurt International Auto Show, Dr. Robertson said that the BMW Connected App that is enabled on newer BMWs and accessed on a smartphone eventually may do away with the need for keys entirely.
Robertson commented, “Honestly, how many people really need it," with "it" meaning a car key. "They never take it out of their pocket," he continued, "so why do I need to carry it around?”
We can think of a few reasons, such as losing your phone or letting the phone's battery go dead, but those problems are relatively easy to fix. In fact, the Tesla 3 electric car due out next year may be unlocked and started using a smartphone connected to the car via Bluetooth LE, with a near-field communication (NFC) card backup in the event of phone problems. Having to pull out a credit-card sized NFC card to get into or start your car technically makes the card a key, but Tesla figures it won't happen very often.
BMW is not usually very forthcoming with new initiatives, so just the fact that a top BMW executive is talking about it at the Frankfurt show is significant. BMW has already tried to make key fobs do more—witness the BMW Display Key available on certain 5 Series, 7 Series, and i8 Coupes. The Display Key is probably too big for pocket carry, has a nice—but small—screen, needs to be recharged, and is quite expensive. It might as well be a smartphone, and with BMW Connected, it could be.
Dr. Robertson's comments at Frankfurt were very noncommittal. He said, “We are looking at whether it is feasible, and whether we can do it. Whether we do it or at some point in the future, remains to be seen."
The way technology—including BMW's Connected app—is going, if BMW doesn't develop a smartphone app to be a car's key, it will probably be the only carmaker that doesn't.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
