In today’s market, new car buyers want technologies and conveniences that save them time and lend themselves to personalization. These technologies can be as simple as keyless access to their locked car or as complex as phone-as-key technology that allows drivers to just get in their vehicle and go, without having to turn a key or touch a stop-start button.
The next frontier in car customization is biometrics. Systems with the technology, which uses measurable physical characteristics or personal behavior traits to identify a user, allow a car owner to unlock, open, customize and/or start their vehicle just by using their face or fingerprints. It can be used for access and ignition, and to load a driver’s personal profile.
Analysis by Global Industry Analysis, a market research company, estimated in 2022 that the global market for biometric technology will reach $44.1 billion by 2026.
“More and more automakers are figuring out ways to really dial-in and fine-tune the vehicle experience by analyzing who’s sitting in the driver’s seat. Whether via a small pad for fingerprint authentication or an interior camera that recognizes facial expressions, this allows for an intimate yet greater degree of vehicles personalization and customization,” Robby DeGraff, manager of product and consumer insights at AutoPacific told Newsweek.
According to GlobalData, there are more than 100 companies including automakers, startups and technology giants engaged in the development and application of biometric vehicle access.
Tokai Rika, a Japanese technology supplier, recently filed a patent for a system using driver facial recognition for biometric vehicle access. Electronics supplier Denso is also researching the tech, as is Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Mazda and others.
The 2024 Genesis GV60 offers biometric vehicle access and ignition using the drivers face and fingerprint.
Genesis
The Genesis GV60 has a facial recognition system.
Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor Group’s brands, Hyundai, Genesis and Kia, have employed the technology for a half-decade. Hyundai’s Tucson, Santa Cruz and Santa Fe models have capacitance recognition, which detects differentials in the electricity level in various parts of the fingertip. Hyundai says technology efficiently prevents forgeries and faked fingerprints, performing five times more effectively than a conventional vehicle or smart keys. The company notes the system can continually improve its success rate with updates. Kia, too, has the technology.
Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis has a facial recognition feature called Face Connect, which uses an image processor to compare the face to the one stored on the vehicle’s hard drive. When the face is recognized a button tap will open the door without a key or a fob (or a phone, which can also be used).
“This feature allows customers the flexibility to interact with their vehicle in a manner of their choosing. For example, customers with an active lifestyle can now have the flexibility to go for a run, snowboard, or surf, without needing to carry a device. For customers who share their vehicle with another driver, scanning a fingerprint can automatically load their personalized vehicle preferences and settings,” a Genesis spokesperson told Newsweek.
Drivers use the Genesis smartphone app to take the initial scan, and for security reasons those scans are never uploaded or stored outside of the vehicle.
“There may be a brief hurdle of hesitation, which is why it’s important for automakers to ensure there’s transparency when it comes to privacy and a way to opt-out or erase any collected biometric recognition … but partaking in such technology allows a consumer to really dial-in and fine-tune the vehicle and its settings to exactly what they want. This can be especially helpful and useful amidst households with multiple drivers,” DeGraff said.
“Privacy and security are top priorities for Genesis when implementing biometrics in our products. All customers’ biometric data are stored locally on their vehicle and fully encrypted. Biometric data are never sent to the cloud, and Genesis does not have access to it. Customers can delete their biometric directly on the vehicle’s head unit at any time,” said the Genesis spokesperson.
There are dozens of use cases for biometric beyond access and ignition, but it’s ideal for situations where the driver might be doing something outdoors like swimming, climbing or running, where carrying a physical key can be inconvenient. These systems can also grant different privileges to users so parents could unlock and start a vehicle, but kids could only unlock.
Subaru’s DriverFocus senses driver distraction using an infrared camera to figure out when a driver is texting or sleepy or unresponsive, but it can also recognize up to five different drivers, automatically adjusting the seat, mirrors, climate, and other settings to the profile of the user.
Nissan and Infiniti use biometrics for passenger cooling. Its Infiniti QX80 and Nissan Armada an integrated infrared sensor detects when a passenger is hot and near-instantly adjusts the temperature and air flow to send cool air to the first or second row.
2025 Nissan Armada front seat. The 2025 Nissan Armada uses a roof-mounted biometric infrared sensor to automatically keep passengers cool.
2025 Nissan Armada front seat. The 2025 Nissan Armada uses a roof-mounted biometric infrared sensor to automatically keep passengers cool.
Nissan North America
“Our customers have asked for innovative tech that simplifies and removes distractions. Biometric cooling provides automated hospitality for passengers and can cool them up to 50% faster than conventional automatic air conditioning. At Nissan, we’re excited to introduce innovations that hopefully become ubiquitous,” Josh Clifton, senior manager of product communications and auto shows told Newsweek.
Automakers and other companies are just at the beginning of this technology. The future will feature better, faster authentication using body movements, gait, even blinking, and customization will
Faces and Fingers Are the New Car Keys
