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More automakers working to turn your smartphone into a shareable digital car key

The smartphone killed the phone book, audio player, the pocket digital camera, handheld GPS devices and voice recorders. Now that addictive, transistor-filled candy bar is coming for your car keys. The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) announced that it's unveiled Digital Key Release 1.0 Specification for its member companies, which is the first step in standardizing protocols. As of now, the potential is there for drivers to download a digital key that can lock and unlock the car, start it, and transfer the key to another operator in order to share the car. The CCC's aim is to save development costs, stave off a glut of similar-yet-competing technologies, and create keys that reflect the expanded use cases for cars, i.e., car-sharing services and to-your-car delivery. Next year's Release 2.0 Specification will standardize an authentication protocol between the phone and the vehicle — how a digital key is generated on a secure server and transmitted to the car and the device — and "promise more interoperability between cars and mobile devices." The CCC says that "NFC distance bounding and a direct link to the secure element of the device" will assure security. We take that to mean the phone will need to be in direct contact with the vehicle, at least to open the door. Carmakers and suppliers have been working on digital keys for years now, and the ecosystem for individual owners to open individual cars is growing. Audi showed off its Mobile Key at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, and now calls it Audi Connect Key, but we haven't seen much of it in the field. That same year, Volvo said it expected to sell cars with digital keys only by 2017, which clearly didn't happen. Last year, the head of sales at BMW asked, "Honestly, how many people really need [keys]? They never take it out of their pocket, so why do I need to carry it around?" Even though a digital key offers an owner more convenience and long-distance control over their vehicle, car sharing is the target — and that can even include traditional rental cars. In 2013, Continental began testing a digital key in France, aimed at integrating and simplifying the electric-car-sharing business; everything from finding a free vehicle to driving it and charging it could be done on a phone. A key could be programmed with the driver's information, so that any car the driver gets in will be automatically updated with that driver's preferences, say for audio or seating position.

Hackenberg says next Audi A4 set for Frankfurt debut

The current Audi A4 is among the oldest vehicles in the brand's lineup. Having debuted back in 2008, it's long overdue for an update, and according to our friends at Indian Autos Blog, that'll happen in roughly six months. IAB spoke to Audi research and design chief Ulrich Hackenberg, who indicated that the fifth-generation A4 will be shown at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The new sedan will be unveiled in "a pre-presentation" before the auto show itself, Hackenberg told IAB, adding that "you'll be happy to see it." Information beyond that, though, remains sparse. Based on our previous spy photos, we expect the new A4 to ride on the Volkswagen Group's modular MLB Evo platform that's been stretched to accommodate a larger wheelbase. The styling, meanwhile, will be more evolutionary, inspired in part by the new TT. Expect more on the next-generation A4 as September approaches. Related Video:

Audi eyes factory-backed Formula E racecar for 2017/2018 season

Audi is going all-in into the world of electric vehicles, both on and off the race track. After announcing plans to create a Tesla-fighting all-electric car, the German automaker set its sights onto increasing its involvement in Formula E. Audi recently announced plans to further its involvement with the ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport Formula E Team for the 2016 and 2017 season. In addition to furthering its involvement with the ABT Team, the automaker planned to introduce its own factory-backed car for the 2017 and 2018 season. The plan to enter Formula E, the first fully-electric racing series, reveals just how serious Audi is about electric cars. Audi to become involved in #FormulaE #LeagueofPerformance pic.twitter.com/AeJf534UnH — Audi Sport (@audisport) September 2, 2016 Last year, Audi announced that it wanted one out of every four vehicles in its lineup to have a plug by 2025. Entering Formula E would help Audi engineer electric components for its road-going vehicles. Audi's current involvement with the ABT Team is on a technical basis as the Formula E team narrowly missed out on titles in two seasons in the all-electric series. For the 2016/2017 season, Team ABT will benefit from technical and financial input from Audi, before the automaker unveils its own factory team. Audi will join other automakers like Jaguar, Mahindra, Renault, and Faraday Future on the grid in Formula E's fourth season. Jaguar recently entered the Formula E scene with a race car of its own for the third season of the all-electric series, which will start on October 9 in Hong Kong. Related Video: News Source: Formula EImage Credit: Daniel Abt / Twitter Green Motorsports Audi Electric Racing Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Performance Formula E abt