SEOUL :
Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) today announced it will collaborate with smartphone platform companies to allow a wider variety of iOS and Android phone users to gain digital access to Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brand vehicles via the Digital Key 2 convenience feature.
The Group’s Digital Key 2 is one of the first services in the automotive industry to support cross-platform compatibility for contactless sharing of digital key capabilities between smartphones.
“We were the first in the automotive industry to offer Apple and Samsung’s contactless Digital Key 2 feature when we launched it on the Genesis GV60,” said Hyung Ki Ahn, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s Electronics Development Center. “Through active collaboration with our partners in the smartphone industry, we will continue to enhance customer experience and security around car connectivity.”
In the past, it was not possible to share digital keys for Hyundai, Kia or Genesis vehicles between iOS and Android-based smartphones, but the expanded service now allows more users to unlock, lock and start compatible vehicles using select Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel devices. Select phones will even allow automatic unlocking of the car as the user walks near it, removing the need to hold the smartphone against the driver-door handle.
The Group has reorganized the way Digital Key 2 is provided through the manufacturer’s app to expand compatibility. The expanded service is available not only for Apple and Samsung smartphones, but also for Google Pixel phones. It will be expanded to other smartphone makers in the future.
This development reflects how intermediation is now handled by phone manufacturers. As the number of phone and car manufacturers increase, the process has become more complicated. Therefore, the method has been changed to one where phone manufacturers have their own servers, simplifying the process.
This new functionality is available for all new Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles with Digital Key 2. Older, similarly equipped models will be able to utilize this feature with a software . Cross-platform sharing will initially be available for compatible Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel smartphones, with other models to follow.
The device-to-device sharing function can be used after updating the smartphone to the latest version or by deleting previously used vehicle keys and re-registering the new keys before using.
The percentage of customers using the Digital Key 2 convenience feature is on the rise. Many customers, including those with Hyundai Grandeur, Genesis GV60 or Genesis G90, are currently using the feature and that number is expected to increase with the service’s expanded compatibility. Kia has also applied the Digital Key 2 feature to EV9, providing enhanced car connectivity and consumer convenience for its customers.
The upgrade to Digital Key 2 systems reflects a close collaboration between the Group and its partners Apple, Samsung and Google. It demonstrates how the spirit of cooperation between the two industries is delivering complete cross-platform interoperability while securing the capability for smartphones to act as digital vehicle keys.
