LG Innotek aiming to mass produce digital car key in 2027

The company described the Digital Key as a "next-generation car key" that can be used to open, lock, and start the car using a smartphone connected to the vehicle through wireless communication technology. The idea is to remove clutter for the user, who no longer needs to carry a separate car key. LG Innotek also states that since the car can be started only with a smartphone connected to the digital key, there is a low risk of theft.

The growth of the vehicle-sharing industry, including car sharing and car rental, has led to a rise in demand for digital keys. Global market research firm Persistence Market Research projects that the automotive digital key market will more than quadruple by 2033.

Since introducing its 'Digital Key Module for Vehicles' back in 2021, LG Innotek has continued to improve its technology. This next generation of digital key is a package of not only a digital key module installed with an antenna and circuitry but also software to operate the digital key.

The system uses short-range communication technologies like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Ultra Wideband (UWB). UWB, which operates on a wide bandwidth frequency less susceptible to interference than BLE, is key to precisely measuring the location of the smartphone linked to the digital key. LG Innotek's proprietary algorithm enhances this accuracy, pinpointing the smartphone's location within 10cm. 

LG Innotek says in a press release that has set 2027 as its target year for full-scale mass production of its next-gen Digital Key solution.

“LG Innotek will continue to foster automotive communication components based on its unparalleled wireless communication source technology as the core pillar of its electronic component business,” says LG Innotek CEO Hyuksoo Moon in the press release.