Continental to enable Smartphone-based access solution for the Honda e

With the smart device integrated access solution CoSmA, which will be available to buyers of a Honda e, the technology company Continental demonstrates, what digitalisation 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. Visitors of the Frankfurt Motor Show will be able to see the vehicle at the Honda booth.

“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,” said Shigeo Hamada, Project Leader of Pan European Connectivity Business & General Manager of Automobile Division Honda Motor Europe Ltd..

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 digitalisation of the automotive industry,” said 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.