DIGITAL DOOR OPENER: HONDA E GETS SMARTPHONE-BASED ACCESS SOLUTION FROM CONTINENTAL
>> Continental’s CoSmA solution will enable Honda e owners to open their vehicle or share the key with others using just their smartphone
>> Already embedded in the OEM´s vehicle architecture the new access solution from Continental goes into series production for the first time
Frankfurt am Main (Germany). With the smart device integrated access solution CoSmA, which will be available to buyers of a Honda e, the technology company Continental demonstrates, what digitalization in the automotive industry looks like. In addition to the car key, buyers of a new Honda e will receive a virtual key onto their smartphone. Using the My Honda+ App, they can unlock the vehicle remotely via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The new Honda e will be available from 2020 onwards in Europe.
“We are very excited about the launch of Honda e, our all-new electric vehicle. The Honda e delivers new level of connectivity, and the digital key function will provide our customers with exceptional convenience and new features”, says Shigeo Hamada, project leader of Pan European Connectivity Business & General Manager of Automobile Division Honda Motor Europe Ltd..
CoSmA’s virtual key enables Key as a Service solutions
With Continental’s solution, vehicle owners will receive a number of virtual keys simultaneously and will thus be able to share their vehicle for example with family and friends conveniently by just sending the virtual key to other drivers. “The integration of our CoSmA solution in the new Honda e marks an important milestone in the era of the connected vehicle and the digitalization of the automotive industry”, says Johann Hiebl, head of the Continental business units Body & Security and Infotainment & Connectivity. “Not only do we enable a complete digital user experience for Honda e owners, this is also the first time Continental’s CoSmA goes into series production directly with a vehicle manufacturer.”
Besides the hardware for BLE, CoSmA comprises the backend key management on the Continental.cloud where keys are created and securely processed. CoSmA works with Android and Apple smartphones and is not limited to the hardware or the vendor of the smartphone. After the initial introduction the Honda e will be available for Europe in 2020.
