Η Toyota invented a Bluetooth-enabled device called the Smart Key Box that allows users to unlock and start their car's engine simply by using their smartphone.
The device is a pilot and is intended more for the purchase ofsharing. Imagine a car owner who wants to borrow his car for a fee.
He can install the Smart Key Box on his car dashboard without having to make any further modifications.
Ο ενοικιαστής από την μεριά του στέλνει έναν κωδικό μέσω μίας εφαρμογής για να μπορέσει να αποκτήσει access on the device. When the renter's smartphone is near the vehicle, the codes are validated via Bluetooth, a process similar to smart car keys.
The time and period the user can access the Smart Key Box is set and managed by Toyota, which is based on the rental time of the vehicle.
Toyota plans to release this new technology for testing next year, on a limited pilot scale in San Francisco, in partnership with a peer-to-peer car-sharing service called Getaround. And according to Rauters, last week, Getaround received a $ 10 million dollar investment from a Toyota-controlled fund.
The fund mainly spends money for artificial intelligence and robotics, but the investment in Getaround is a sign that Toyota is interested in expanding into the car-sharing market.
As far as the pilot test is concerned, only the people who own the new Prius or any Lexus model can participate in it.
