Car Connectivity Consortium drives digital key progress

The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC), a cross-industry organization dedicated to advancing vehicle-to-device connectivity solutions, recently gathered in Hillsboro, Oregon, alongside major device makers, automotive manufacturers, and technology companies to further CCC Digital Key interoperability testing, with a strong focus on ultra-wideband (UWB) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Hosting the tenth Plugfest for the CCC, the organization was joined by members Google, Ellisys, Qualcomm, Thales, COMPRION, DEKRA, BMW Group, and other major automakers as they worked to realize the full potential of the CCC Digital Key specification, which incorporates UWB and BLE on top of the existing near-field communication (NFC) capabilities.

Th event came on the heels of the CCC’s announcement that BMW Group and NXP Semiconductors’ respective digital key products were the first manufacturers to receive CCC Digital Key Certification. The current certification program currently focuses on NFC and designates that a product meets the CCC’s highest requirements for secure and interoperable vehicle-to-device access. As the certification program is expected to expand to include BLE, which enables remote command, and UWB with BLE, which provides full passive entry capabilities, later this year, the work done at this week’s Plugfest is imperative to drive continued progress.

Source: Car Connectivity Consortium

“Certifying two manufacturers at different parts of the digital key ecosystem for the NFC components of their digital key products was a major milestone for the CCC Digital Key Certification Program,” said Alysia Johnson, president of the CCC. “We know that the most complete digital key solutions will incorporate NFC, BLE, and UWB technologies, among others, so we’re proud to continue our work as a broader membership to make this possible.”

New research from Technavio reported that the automotive digital market is expected to grow by $891M between 2024 and 2028. The report notes that the development of standardized digital key protocols will contribute to this significant expansion. Alongside its members, the CCC will focus on supporting these efforts this week as it continues to further refine the CCC Digital Key applications, enhancing implementations, specifications, test suites, and tools, and deliver performance without compromise.