23.5.2005
Saab develops its innovative Alcokey for production

Saab Automobile is now taking the next step in the development of the smart Alcokey it brought out in 2004. Financed in part by grants from the National Swedish Road Administration's sign fund, the Company is commencing wide-ranging field trials involving both private customers and trucking firms, its ambition being to have the finished device out on the market as an optional extra within two years. Among the testers are the top managers of Saab, headed by its Managing Director, who will all have Alcokey in their company cars.

It was in the fall of 2004 that Saab first exhibited its idea for an Alcokey, an innovative solution based on the integration of the actual breathalyzer with the car key and the use of the car's standard engine immobilizer. Because the Alcokey obviates extra electronics and elaborate installations, Saab reckons that once it is in serial production it will be possible to keep the price to the customer below 3,000 SEK, which is around 320,-- Euro - barely a tenth of what the existing systems cost in the normal case. Saab also aims to see that its Alcokey can be fitted post-delivery to most Saab models.

The field trials currently going on are concerned with studying factors such as accuracy of readings, long-term properties and robustness. Another important aspect is how the trial participants perceive the Alcokey in daily use. It's been known for some time that private people are less inclined to pay for features that they don't consider they need - "I never drive when I've been drinking" - which makes ease of use all the more important.