2017 will see Toyota launch a car-sharing pilot project in San Francisco, according to DrivingSales.com. Dubbed Smart Key Box, the system will allow users to unlock and start vehicles using an application installed on their smartphone. The system will use Bluetooth to detect the user’s smartphone when it is in proximity to the vehicle to be used.
In the initial phase of the pilot project only Toyota Prius and Lexus vehicles will be used, but Toyota could expand the service to include other models depending on results.
This announcement follows on the heels of a plan unveiled recently by Audi to launch its own car-sharing service in the United States.