An iPhone or Apple Watch can carry the G9L’s car key in Apple Wallet. In its announcement on 13 October, XPENG calls the G9L its first model for global markets with Digital Key 3.0 in Apple Wallet.
Keep the phone in your pocket
XPENG’s official presentation describes an iPhone UWB key with passive locking and unlocking. UWB, or ultra-wideband, lets the vehicle determine where the phone is in relation to the car. Passive entry needs, according to Apple, an iPhone 11 or later, excluding the SE models, 16e and 17e, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later; tapping the phone against the reader works from the iPhone XS, iPhone SE (2nd generation) and Apple Watch Series 5. The Danish configurator lists a UWB key and a digital key via smartphone and smartwatch on all three trims.
With the phone or the watch you can also lock, unlock and start the car. The key must first be added to Wallet and paired with the vehicle. Apple then turns on Express Mode, so the key works without Face ID or a passcode.
Access after the phone runs out of charge
XPENG says an iPhone can still unlock the G9L when it needs charging, using what Apple calls Power Reserve: up to five hours on supported iPhones, and only for locking, unlocking and starting. Unlocking requires holding the phone to the reader, on the G9L in the driver’s mirror, or pressing the side button once. It is a general Wallet capability; which iPhones have it is Apple’s call.
Vehicle hardware, software and local regulations can affect which features are available in each market, according to XPENG. Phone requirements also differ between UWB access and tapping the device against an NFC reader. Apple’s own list of cars with CarPlay and car keys in Wallet did not name XPENG on 13 October; for now the announcement rests on XPENG’s poster, and Apple refers buyers to the carmaker for whether a car is eligible.
The G9L model page covers the NFC readers and phone requirements described in XPENG’s European owner manual. The Digital Key guide covers the app’s Bluetooth key on the other models.
Image: XPENG
Sources
XPENG Global: official G9L Digital Key 3.0 presentation, 13 October 2026
Apple: car keys in Wallet, UWB/NFC and power reserve
Apple Support: adding and using car keys on iPhone and Apple Watch