Would you trust your Audi to unlock itself and accept parcels for you?

Missing parcel deliveries can be a major pain in the neck: long trips to the nearest depot, failed redeliveries — or worst of all, parcels that have been left somewhere ‘safe’, but somehow get damaged or disappear.

Audi, DHL and Amazon Prime have come up with a solution, which will allow you to specify the boot of your Audi as a delivery destination.

The delivery driver will be provided with a one-time access code that will be available for a fixed period of time, allowing them to unlock the boot without a key, before closing and locking it again with your parcel inside.

I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that this sounds too far-fetched — or too damn risky — to be attractive, but the reality is that cars are becoming increasingly connected, and services like this could become commonplace.

Starting in May, this service is going to be trialled in Munich, Germany. If it goes well, I’d expect it to expand — although in reality this may simply be one of those experimental services that provides data for future ideas but doesn’t take off in itself.

After all, let’s face it: modern cars are now computers with an engine and wheels. In a world where self-driving cars are already technically possible, having your boot unlock itself for a couple of minutes doesn’t seem that far-fetched, does it?