At Used Car Week 2025 in Las Vegas, one of the packed sessions focused on cutting keys for repossessed vehicles.

Perhaps during Used Car Week in the future, a similar discussion won’t be about a physical key at all, but rather about the technology evaluated during a recent conference hosted by the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC).

During Plugfest at the DEKRA Automotive Test Center in Lausitzring, Germany, the event brought together leading automakers, device manufacturers, test equipment providers, and laboratories to advance testing and validation of CCC digital key implementations.

CCC’s Plugfest provided a collaborative environment for member companies to test their digital key implementations against one another, identify and troubleshoot interoperability issues, and contribute to ongoing improvements in CCC technical specifications, test tools, and certification processes.

Participating companies at Plugfest #18 included:

—Apple
—AUMOVIO
—BMW Group
—COMPRION GmbH
—DEKRA
—Ellisys
—Google
—Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst GmbH & Co. KG
—Hyundai Motor Company
—IAV GmbH
—InGeek
—JLR
—Keysight Technologies
—Marquardt GmbH
—Robert Bosch

At Plugfest #18, CCC expanded its focus on Digital Key Version 4 (v4), with new capabilities designed to advance interoperability and validation across the ecosystem. Key areas of focus included:

—New CCC Digital Key v4 test cases, enabling deeper validation of next-generation implementations

—Interoperability testing between Version 3 (v3) and v4 devices, supporting backward compatibility and real-world deployment scenarios

—Identification of candidate Interoperability Device List (IDL) devices for v4, marking an important step toward certification readiness

The event also introduced enhanced testing capabilities to support more comprehensive validation, including:

—Updated Near Field Communications (NFC) test cases, available for the first time at a Plugfest, building on insights from previous events

—Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) sniffing techniques, strengthening validation of Bluetooth LE-based interactions

—Continued support for remote keyless entry and passive entry test scenarios

“CCC Plugfests bring our global ecosystem together to advance interoperability and deliver a more seamless user experience,” CCC president Alysia Johnson said in a news release. “We appreciate DEKRA’s support in hosting Plugfest #18, as collaboration like this helps validate new capabilities and strengthen reliability across devices and vehicles.

“Plugfest #18 represents an important step forward for CCC Digital Key v4, as we expand testing across devices, vehicles, and supporting technologies,” Johnson continued. “By introducing new test cases and enhanced validation capabilities, we’re helping members identify and resolve challenges earlier, bringing more robust, interoperable solutions to market faster.”

For more information about CCC and its initiatives, visit www.carconnectivity.org.