In car rental, keyless entry or remote keyless system allows the renter to lock and unlock vehicle doors without using a physical key. Nowadays, most vehicles are equipped with keyless entry systems that have short-range transmitters. This means that the renter can unlock vehicle doors with an electronic remote control by pressing a button. In some cases, it is enough for the renter to just have a keyless fob in their pocket and the doors can be unlocked by touching a door handle. In addition to a keyless fob, there are increasing developments for smartphone apps that allow people renting a car to unlock the doors without using a physical key.
How does a keyless fob work? Keyless fobs have identity chips in them that listen to the radio signals broadcasted by the car. If a keyless fob is located in range of the car, a response is triggered and when the unlock button is pressed, either on the fob or on a door handle of the car, the keyless fob sends out its own code. The car recognises the code and unlocks the doors.
Although having a keyless entry seems convenient, especially when your hands are full, there are still some security issues with this system. The signals that are emitted by the car can be interrupted and it is possible to intercept the codes that are exchanged by the keyless fob and the car. But car manufacturers are always working on making the system they use more secure.
Synonym(s):
- remote keyless system
