The internationally positioned automotive supplier HELLA has received a prestigious innovation award in China for its digital, smartphone-based vehicle access system Smart Car Access. The award, which HELLA received in the category “Intelligent Driving and Future Mobility”, is presented by the trade journal Automobil Industrie in China and the Institute for Automotive Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. Above all, it focuses on the innovative strength of the HELLA solution and its importance in the automotive industry. The Smart Car Access system enables completely hands-free vehicle access as well as the implementation of additional customised comfort functions. Thanks to the integrated ultra-wideband technology (UWB), it also meets the highest security standards.
“The connectivity of vehicles with their environment is advancing continuously. With our comprehensive Smart Car Access system solution, we are not only additionally accelerating this development, but also offering the end user the greatest possible user convenience in vehicle access,” says Michael Weitert, Vice President, HELLA’s Technical Centre-Shanghai, who accepted the award on behalf of the company. “We are therefore all the more pleased that our product solution has now received an award from proven industry and technical experts. This underscores the strong technology position we have in vehicle access solutions.”
With HELLA Smart Car Access, the end user can open and close their car completely hands-free and start the engine without having to pick up a classic radio key or smartphone. Access authorizations to the vehicle can also be digitally managed and shared on the basis of the HELLA Smart Car Access system, for example for car sharing services or fleet operators. Customisable information can also be stored on the smartphone to activate additional comfort or individualisation functions, such as for welcome or interior lighting.
The functionalities of the Smart Car Access are realized with UWB technology. It is characterised by highly precise, centimetre-accurate localisation and also prevents so-called relay attacks, i.e., the unauthorised opening of a vehicle by radio extension. At the same time, the technology ensures that HELLA’s system solution does not necessarily require an app and continues to function even in situations without a network or internet connection. The system solution is compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems and will go into series production for an international automobile manufacturer within the next two years.
