Apple Preparing to Add Support for Digital Car Keys on Hyundai and BYD Vehicles

[MacRumors]

Apple is preparing to begin supporting digital car keys in the Wallet app for two new car brands: Hyundai and BYD. The feature allows users to lock, unlock, and start their vehicles using a pass stored in the Wallet on the iPhone or Apple Watch, and Ultra Wideband with Express Mode in iOS 15 can even automatically lock and unlock a compatible car as you approach without needing to wake your device.

BMW was the first manufacturer to launch digital car keys in Wallet back in 2020, and two months ago Apple began listing several Genesis and Kia models as supporting the functionality. Over the last several days, Apple has added entries for both Hyundai and BYD to its Apple Pay configuration file. A similar change last September revealed the pending addition of Genesis support.

The inclusion of Hyundai on the list of car brands supporting digital car keys on iOS isn't much of a surprise, considering that Genesis and Kia were among the earliest adopters. Genesis is a luxury brand of Hyundai, while Hyundai is the largest stakeholder in Kia and the two companies are closely interrelated. Bloomberg also reported in January that both Hyundai and Genesis models would be adding the feature "by the summer."

BYD is a Chinese brand that has been trying to expand into other countries and recently announced that it will be moving to exclusively sell full electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

We've yet to hear which specific models from the two brands will support digital car keys on iPhone and Apple Watch, but a number of Hyundai models have supported digital car keys on Android for several model years.


Article Link: Apple Preparing to Add Support for Digital Car Keys on Hyundai and BYD Vehicles

 

[jav6454]

BYD? Yuck.

That said, Apple should pitch this further to American car makers like Ford.

 

[max2]

BYD? Yuck.

That said, Apple should pitch this further to American car makers like Ford.

I agree. Never letting that company near me.

 

[sw1tcher]

BYD? Yuck.

Yuck to you, but Warren Buffet is laughing all the way to the bank

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has scored a $2 billion gain on BYD stock this year

The investor's company plowed $232 million into the Chinese electric-vehicle maker in 2008, securing a stake worth almost $8 billion today.

markets.businessinsider.com

BYD is one of the top selling brands in China.

BYD Shines as Electric Car Market Reaches 20% in China

Electric Car Market: 20% Plugin Market Share in China, BYD Shines, Tesla gains ground, and internal combustion takes a back seat.

cleantechnica.com

BYD zooms past Tesla in China's electric-car market

Middle-of-the-road prices fuel Chinese automaker's growth, but profit lags

asia.nikkei.com

 

[Wildkraut]

Have fun fighting with your insurance once your car gets stolen.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Why not add the high-end vehicle to the list first? Can we have it on an Audi, please.

 

[Wildkraut]

I agree. Never letting that company near me.

Heh ahh it’s a Company, i was trying to derive some fancy abbreviation like Bring Your Device Vehicles 🤣

 

[jav6454]

Yuck to you, but Warren Buffet is laughing all the way to the bank

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has scored a $2 billion gain on BYD stock this year

The investor's company plowed $232 million into the Chinese electric-vehicle maker in 2008, securing a stake worth almost $8 billion today.

markets.businessinsider.com

BYD is one of the top selling brands in China.

BYD Shines as Electric Car Market Reaches 20% in China

Electric Car Market: 20% Plugin Market Share in China, BYD Shines, Tesla gains ground, and internal combustion takes a back seat.

cleantechnica.com

BYD zooms past Tesla in China's electric-car market

Middle-of-the-road prices fuel Chinese automaker's growth, but profit lags

asia.nikkei.com

You do you, I do me. I'd rather not buy from a Chinese car manufacturer regardless if Buffet is behind it. Period.

 

[CarlJ]

Why not add the high-end vehicle to the list first? Can we have it on an Audi, please.

Do you have much personal sway with Audi? I'm sure Apple wouldn't mind the help.

 

[lazyrighteye]

For those that have use this tech before: do you have to hold your device as close to the door handle as shown in the OP photo?

 

[larrylaffer]

My 2020 Sonata supports Android’s car key NFC thing. It would be great if iOS ends up supporting it too.

 

[sw1tcher]

You do you, I do me. I'd rather not buy from a Chinese car manufacturer regardless if Buffet is behind it. Period.

But you'll buy products manufactured by Chinese companies if it's got an logo on it. Gotcha.

 

[jav6454]

But you'll buy products manufactured by Chinese companies if it's got an logo on it. Gotcha.

Yup. With the I know what I'm getting and the safeguards. But if you ask me, I'd prefer if it were made in India.

 

[kasei]

Do you have much personal sway with Audi? I'm sure Apple wouldn't mind the help.

Yes you have to hold it that close. I have it on my 2021 M440

 

[CarlJ]

For those that have use this tech before: do you have to hold your device as close to the door handle as shown in the OP photo?

First paragraph talks about the car unlocking as you approach the vehicle, so sounds like "no", at least for some phone models.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Do you have much personal sway with Audi? I'm sure Apple wouldn't mind the help.

I do. I just bought a brand new 2022 Audi. Would be nice to use my iPhone to start the car with a simple tap.

 

[CarlJ]

Yes you have to hold it that close. I have it on my 2021 M440

Me: Do you have much personal sway with Audi?
You: Yes you have to hold it that close.

I think you missed.

 

[CarlJ]

I do. I just bought a brand new 2022 Audi. Would be nice to use my iPhone to start the car with a simple tap.

Then by all means, get on the phone with the head of Audi and ask them to work with Apple to add this. Would probably make a bunch of customers happy.

 

[GMShadow]

Have fun fighting with your insurance once your car gets stolen.

Kia and Hyundai being on this list is especially hilarious given that they were still selling vehicles without an immobilizer key until 2022.

You very much get what you pay for with the Korean brands.

 

[CWallace]

My 2020 Sonata supports Android’s car key NFC thing. It would be great if iOS ends up supporting it too.

Yes it would be nice if they enable it for our model.

Kia and Hyundai being on this list is especially hilarious given that they were still selling vehicles without an immobilizer key until 2022.

You very much get what you pay for with the Korean brands.

I am on my fourth Hyundai via leases and all have been fantastic cars (I came from Mercedes, Honda and Toyota).

My 2020 Sonata Limited is so good I plan to buy it as it is worth 50% more than its lease residual thanks to Covid Craziness.

 

[CarlJ]

Heh ahh it’s a Company, i was trying to derive some fancy abbreviation like Bring Your Device Vehicles ?

I googled "byd car" (because I'd never heard of it), and got their website, with a video showing off their (electric?) busses, trash trucks, forklifts, and monorails. Scrolling down the page there was a car, so I clicked on it. It said "new website coming soon", with a place to enter an email address for notification when further info is available. It doesn't look like they have any passenger car presence in the US market at this point. Not something I would jump on.

 

[Novaoblivion]

Anyone else find it kind of funny that the phone image in the article is not an iPhone? 😂

 

[Stiksi]

can even automatically lock and unlock a compatible car as you approach without needing to wake your device.

If this works as well as unlocking a mac with the watch, I wouldn’t ditch the physical key any time soon. I gave up after eight rounds of troubleshooting. Works a couple times, then stops, jump through hoops in Terminal, rinse and repeat.

 

[CWallace]

Anyone else find it kind of funny that the phone image in the article is not an iPhone? ?

That is the stock footage from Hyundai showing their Digital Key which currently only works on Android devices.

 

[Benjamin Nabulsi]

I still use Tesla fob, but it would be great to have this.
I don't trust bluetooth or always on location service for the tesla app.