Behind the scenes at chip firm NXP

The car key can be tapped against a Nokia 6131 phone to transfer information between the devices. In addition, it can be fitted with a chip to enable payments at garages or to give access to buildings.

The NFC chip is powered by the point-of-sale device, rather than relying on a battery. According to Gino Knubben, the NFC car key project manager, two-factor authentication can be added to encrypt communications between the car key and a contactless point-of-sale device.