Hyundai Debuts Smartphone Concept Car, Wants To Kill Conventions

The days of putting a key into your vehicles ignition switch are drawing to a close. Automaker Hyundai on Thursday showed off a new concept car that uses a mobile smart phone in place of a standardized key. The concept car, which is based off Hyundai i30 hatchback (pictured), is just a concept at this time, but its lock and start smartphone feature could soon become a reality.

It’s not as if the standard key has been relevant in a number of years as many manufacturers move towards key fob and proximity-based “push to start” options for their new automobiles.

Wireless options are still typically only found on expensive vehicles; however, a smartphone option could eliminate much of the costs associated with push to start proximity based key fob censors.

Unlike other key to unlock options, the Hyundai option uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to communicate directly with the users phone. Other systems such as those found via OnStar use satellite technology to perform the same tasks.

The new concept option basically takes a key fob’s security chip and places its encryption technology inside of a smartphone.

Hyundai also wants smartphones to pull up user profiles for audio, climate, and phonebook entries before the vehicle is even started.

In case you’re worried about losing battery life as you drive, Hyundia has included a phone charger directly inside the vehicles console.

Hyundai is still working out the specifics of the system, but the company hopes to have Smartphone powered vehicles on the open market by 2015.

Would you like to power your car via smartphone?