Luxury car manufacturer BMW is considering dropping the need for keys altogether and using mobile phone apps instead.
“Honestly, how many people really need it?” a board member responsible for sales, Ian Robertson, told Reuters at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Robertson explained that with the BMW App which allows customers to unlock their vehicles, in addition to vehicles no longer requiring placing a key in the ignition to start it, was making keys less relevant.
“They [customers] never take it out of their pocket, so why do I need to carry it around?” Robertson questioned.
He added that the manufacturer was considering eliminating keys altogether.
“We are looking at whether it is feasible, and whether we can do it. Whether we do it right now or at some point in the future, remains to be seen,” he said.
BMW will be following in tech manufacturer Bosch’s footsteps, who are in the process of developing a new digital smart key called Perfectly Keyless.