Once a simple slab of metal with precisely-cut contours, the car key – like everything else about the automobile – has evolved steadily over the past century into something a bit more advanced. A majority of car keys today offer remote un/locking, and many provide proximity-based access and/or push-button start, beside.
If you’ve ever wondered what General Motors’ role has been in the evolution of the car key, a recent piece by Car and Driver has the answer.
GM’s first big contribution came in 1986, C/D says, with that year’s Chevrolet Corvette. It was the first to debut GM’s Vehicle Anti-Theft System (VATS), which places a coded resistor in each factory key, making the key harder to replicate and the car more secure – theoretically, at least.
The next year, the 1987 Cadillac Allanté offered an electronic key fob with remote locking and unlocking capability – not the earliest known car with the feature, but a very early adopter of a technology which would go on to become ubiquitous.
By the time of the 1993 Chevrolet Corvette, GM had moved on to proximity key technology – a system where the car will automatically unlock as the key’s carrier approaches, and automatically lock as they walk away. A separate key was required for ignition.
And finally, in 2004, that year’s Chevrolet Malibu became the first car to offer remote start from the factory. That technology had existed in the vehicle aftermarket for years, C/D says, but the Malibu brought it to production.
What’s next for the car key? It’s hard to say for sure, but the smart money is on transferring all the functions of the key to one’s smart phone. That’s the direction Tesla Motors is going with the Model 3, with a small, credit-card-size backup to provide some redundancy in the event your phone dies. It’s perhaps a bit superfluous and showy, but it makes a lot of sense when you consider that if there’s one thing the modern American never leaves their house without, it’s their phone.
At a time of year when luxury car ATP usually rises.
Sales decreased 5.6 percent to 16,670 units during the first ten months of 2024.
Specifically critical minerals supply chain development.
Scheduled for a Spring 2025 launch.
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For the past 10-15 years GM has some of the worst, and parts bin special, keys in the industry
God how you are right, I didn't really have problem with it though. These are some cars which my family has owned that had the exact same unequal, half oval shaped key with the gray buttons: 2000 Pontiac Bonneville, 2001 Buick Lesabre, 2001 Chevy Suburban, 2001 Chevy Silverado 2500, 2002 GMC Yukon Denali, 2002 Chevy Silverado 1500, 2003 Chevy Express 3500, 2004 Cadillac SRX, 2005 Cadillac CTS, 2008 GMC Acadia, 2011 GMC Yukon XL.
GM already has the tech for its car renting service, Maven..."Your Phone Is The Key
Unlock and start your reserved car all from the app."
https://www.maven.com/us/how-it-works.html
Growing up we were a GM only family and I was always puzzled by all the hate for the GM two key system vs Ford and Mopar. Later understood when I moved to the Mopar camp. Also loved how on the old GM cars with dash mounted keys you could pull it out in the run position and then lock the car to let up warm up on a cold day, cut with the separate door/trunk key you didn't really have to do that either except they were on the same fob!
Should add, most (possibly all) GM vehicles has a smartphone app on new models where you can do limited things but usually that includes the base models and even super low end vehicles like the Spark and Sonic...
There's also KeyPass app which I'd take a Vegas bet that its future for both replacing a key and interacting with your vehicle...MY17 Bolt EV debuted with it, quick google search appears to not bring up any other models equipped with it for 2018...It requires always on bluetooth (currently the Bolt has it) and allows access to various vehicle settings; pretty limited currently but with regular software updates it'll gain new features regularly...
I never gave a dam about car keys growing up! Don't understand why they put so much money into them now?
Let’s not forget the switch blade key that they used on several cars and cut off in the Camsro because a couple oddly shaped people some how hit it with their knee.
That recal left a gapping hole in the fob. I know Camaro owners today that will not take their cars to the dealers because they do not want the poor fix done.
It would be nice if GM would catch up to the bare bones 2012 Dodge Journey I had until 2015 when I got my Ram and go with keyless entry and push button start.
Ahh the PassKey system. Unique system but somewhat troublesome.
The one thing that made me upset about my 11 Regal was that it did not have factory remote start! :(
Didn't Cadillac invent the key & ignition in the first place?
Both BMW & Mercedes have the Smartphone thing on the 5er & E respectavly, in the new E-class you can use the phone to park the car as well. Both manufacturers also pursued Credit Card sized keys, but nothing materialized yet as far as I know.
Jaguar Land Rover now offer a wristband accessory that acts as a keyfob for F-Pace & the 2018 Range Rover, Sport & Velar.