Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s No. 1 automotive company, is tapping into Australia’s car sharing market by developing a mobile app to replace car keys, together with Australian peer-to-peer car rental company Car Next Door, it said Wednesday.

Hyundai and Car Next Door will roll out a mobile app dubbed “Hyundai Auto Link” that works as a car key and turns the engine on and off, by 2020 at the earliest, the company said.

The app will enhance convenience for users of the P2P car rental service, allowing a smoother rental process, it added.


The move comes as part of Hyundai’s aim to beef up its share of the future mobility market. Earlier this week, the automaker signed an investment deal with Israeli chip company Autotalks for chipset development, which is core to connected car technology.

Hyundai plans to install the connectivity service in new models sold in Australia, the company said.

Launched in 2013, Car Next Door is a service that connects car owners whose vehicles are not in use with those who wish to rent cars. The service has about 62,000 members, and makes roughly 8,000 matches daily.

“Hyundai hopes to create a brand image as a leader in ICT technology in Australia’s auto industry, and expand its footprint in the future mobility market,” the company said. 

By Kim Bo-gyung (lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)