According to Bosch, the key of the future is digital and has a number of advantages over its analog predecessors: it doesn't have to be searched for, can't be lost and can't be stolen. This is because it is made available securely and personalized in an app on the smartphone. "Bosch is making the vehicle key digital and therefore always and everywhere available," says Harald Kröger, President of the Bosch Automotive Electronics division.

With "Perfectly keyless", the smartphone replaces the analog vehicle key - according to Bosch, this can already make things easier for private vehicles, but it really comes into its own in fleet vehicles with many drivers. This puts an end to handing over keys: fleet managers and haulage companies simply unlock drivers for vehicles via an app. "The digital vehicle key from Bosch gives fleets a networking boost," says Kröger. Bosch sees a huge market for its solution: around 15,000 haulage companies in Germany alone are potential customers.

The digital key also plays a key role for bicycles and e-bikes - especially for fleet providers. The leader here is the Swiss e-bike Stromer, which already offers a digital key thanks to its networking and smartphone connection. Bike-sharing providers such as Smide rely on the Stromer e-bike, not least because of the key app.According to Annette Fischer, Communications Manager at Bosch, there are currently no plans to introduce the digital lock to the e-bike system. "We are currently only developing the system for cars and commercial vehicles," says Fischer.bosch-ebike.com