OTA upgrade lets Polestar 2 users use smartphones as car keys

Polestar, the electric car brand backed by Volvo and Chinese auto giant Geely, said Tuesday that Polestar 2 users can use their smartphones as car keys as an alternative to traditional keys.

The Polestar 2 will get the Polestar mobile smart key feature via an OTA update, which will allow users to use their smartphone as the car key once the pairing is complete.

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said it is very convenient that users don't have to carry a physical key, but instead a smartphone that each person carries with them.

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The Polestar 2 has 18 Bluetooth sensors that communicate with the paired phone during unlocking and starting the vehicle for more accurate and secure authentication.

The sensors are designed to be placed around the Polestar 2 to accurately detect approaching paired devices.

When the paired device approaches within approximately an arm's length of the vehicle, the sensors pinpoint the location of the paired device and unlock the door, tailgate, or charging lock button with a high degree of accuracy and security.

The vehicle can only be started when the phone is in the car to prevent accidental starts.

The Polestar mobile smart key is encrypted within the Polestar App on the paired device. Extensive testing has shown that the Polestar mobile smart key is more secure than traditional keys, the company says.

The Polestar mobile smart key is not affected by so-called replay attacks because it does not use radio frequency technology and the encrypted Bluetooth signal is completely dependent on the paired device being within physical range of the sensor, the company says.

The OTA upgrade also includes new vehicle remote control features in the Polestar App, with specific features including checking battery status, remote control of air conditioning, and remote unlocking of the vehicle, with more features to be added later.

It is worth noting that many car companies, including Tesla, Nio, Xpeng Motors, and Li Auto, have previously supported users to use their smartphones as car keys.