Digital Car Keys Are Evolving with Enhanced Features
Last month, more than a dozen car and smartphone manufacturers convened in Palo Alto, California, for the 16th annual “Plugfest,” organized by the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) to explore the latest advancements in digital key technology.
Digital keys are becoming increasingly popular, allowing vehicle owners to lock, unlock, and start their cars using smartphones or other digital devices. Plugfest served as a collaborative platform for CCC members—including automakers, smart device makers, cloud service providers, and chip manufacturers—to test interoperability and real-world performance across various vehicles, devices, and wireless technologies. This event fosters cooperation among companies that are usually fierce competitors, ensuring that digital keys function seamlessly across different devices and vehicle brands.
The gathering also highlighted the growing complexity of modern vehicles, emphasizing the need for robust validation efforts to keep digital keys aligned with rapid innovations in the automotive and smartphone sectors. As manufacturers shift towards software-defined vehicles capable of receiving over-the-air updates, the evolution of digital keys is essential.
“It’s a hard technology problem when you’re trying to resolve wireless access with such a fragmented set of device hardware and software,” noted Rivian’s chief software officer, Wassym Bensaid. RV Tech, a collaboration between Rivian and Volkswagen, hosted this year’s Plugfest.
Bensaid pointed out that the complexity of the ecosystem benefits companies like Rivian that have greater vertical integration. Achieving seamless connectivity between phones and cars requires deep integration across vehicle software, cloud systems, and a diverse array of devices, including various iOS and Android models with different wireless capabilities. He stressed the importance of industry standards like those from the CCC in harmonizing these technologies.
Phone manufacturers hold significant influence, as they must ensure that each automotive brand complies with their stringent data security and privacy standards. For instance, at last year’s WWDC, Apple announced support for digital car keys from 13 vehicle brands, including Audi, Cadillac, Chevy, Hyundai, Kia, GMC, and Rivian, increasing the total to 33 brands. These keys can be stored in the Wallet app and utilized to lock, unlock, and start vehicles using technologies like NFC, UWB, or BLE, depending on vehicle compatibility.
The CCC is playing a crucial role by uniting major automotive companies alongside tech giants like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi. It also collaborates with the FiRa Consortium, which promotes ultra-wideband technology and includes members such as Apple, Google, Cisco, and Qualcomm. CCC President Alysia Johnson reported a significant rise in certifications since the launch of the Digital Key Certification Program in late 2023, jumping from two in 2024 to 115 in 2025.
This year, the CCC is introducing version 4 of its specification, which enhances support for fleet owners, including municipal governments and rental car companies. A key improvement is the “friend sharing” feature, allowing vehicle owners to securely share access with others, regardless of the recipient’s phone type. Johnson illustrated this by describing how a neighbor could borrow a car by receiving a secure digital key via text, which can be easily revoked afterward.
“It’s just like sharing a photo, if you’ve ever texted a photo to somebody,” she explained. “They don’t need to have an app for my vehicle. They don’t need to have my same kind of phone.”
However, digital keys are not without their issues. Many users have taken to forums to voice frustrations about their digital keys, with complaints spanning various brands like Kia, BYD, Rivian, and Volvo. One Tesla Model 3 owner shared their experience of the app failing to recognize their presence even while it was open.
From Rivian’s perspective, UWB technology stands out for its reliability. Bensaid highlighted UWB’s superior accuracy and security, especially when paired with BLE for proximity-based functions, enhancing the overall user experience.
“Some of the anecdotal feedback we received from our customers at the end of last year pointed to accuracy at the edge,” Bensaid noted, “which is something they’re really enjoying now.”
