Will General Motors Replace Car Keys With Face Biometrics?
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As technology continues to march forward, automakers are racing to be the first to offer the latest and greatest features. Many of these innovations are aimed at providing greater comfort and convenience – car keys, for example, have been replaced with key fobs with hands-free/push-button start. The question is, will General Motors move to introduce face biometrics as the new standard method for vehicle ingress?
Let’s start with a quick background. The current industry standard for vehicle ingress is the key fob, which pairs with hands-free/push-button starters as a replacement for traditional car keys. Now, however, General Motors is launching a new feature that replaces the key fob with a user’s smartphone, such as with the all-new 2022 GMC Hummer EV. As GM Authority covered previously, the new Hummer EV allows iOS and Android users to turn their smart device into a “digital key,” allowing users to open the vehicle doors and start the EV using only their phones.
Now, it’s looking like face biometrics could be the next evolution. As GM Authority exclusively covered, General Motors has filed to trademark “Modus Biometric System” in the U.S. and Mexico, suggesting the automaker will bring the same facial recognition software already offered in China over to North America.
For those who may not know, General Motors currently offers the 2021 Cadillac XT4 luxury crossover in China with a face ID system that leverages a high-definition binocular infrared camera, adaptive supplemental lighting, a touchscreen, and a fingerprint reader to make it easier and more secure for a user to enter their vehicle. The system will scan a user’s face and unlock the doors if the system recognizes the user, while offering a fingerprint scan and password function as well.
Which begs the question – will General Motors replace car keys with face biometrics?
We want to know what you think, so vote in the poll below, and don’t forget to subscribe to GM Authority for more General Motors engineering and technology news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
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Why keep making things more expensive and complex? New car prices are already obscene.
Because the getting keys is the number one way of stealing a car. I think it’s something like 65% of all vehicle thefts.
Immobilizers, required by law in most countries, make it very difficult to hot wire cars. As a result, cars are mainly being stolen by two ways: towing or getting ahold of the keys. Towing is mainly organized crime since you need skills and a tow truck.
What do druggies and low-level crooks do to steal cars? If people aren’t lazy and leave the keys in the car, they break into people’s houses and obtain the keys. That’s dangerous and you want to stop that.
Biometrics solves both problems.
It’s also a problem in countries like the UK. There, insurance does deny theft coverage if you don’t properly secure the keys, which includes leaving them unlocked at home.
Why some people constantly complaining about the prices when it comes to the technological advancements such as EVs and electronic systems while they’re the same ones who don’t want any cheap plastic in their cars at all and they want everything covered with leather and love costly big powerful engines. So they’re against useful, convenient features that bring efficiency and also the actual luxury while they splash out on Napa leather or “soft touch” dash.
Yep, that Technology Package Option is sure to drive up the Price Tag of the vehicle as well as the cost of the Warranty Coverage for such a feature, the most frightening part is when there is a glitch in the system and you can’t be recognized in order to enter your vehicle, it would be wise for gm to still carry the standard Key Entry as a backup measure.
Yes if the Facial Recognition works reliably then I think that a lot of people will want to use it. But I think that GM should give people the option to use a regular key and not pay for the expensive system if they do not want it.
A regular key probably costs less and can be given to your friends and family if you are lending them you car. So there are advantages to both and I hope that GM gives it’s costumers the option of both.
Somewhere, somehow, someway, it will be hacked on the other side of the globe. Give it time.
How does someone other than the “owner” enter the car, such as valet parking, techs/mechanics, other family members etc.? What about rain, snow ,frost? Just asking?
Sadly you would have to tell them to leave the door unlocked. At this point, I can only imagine that such technology would only be available on the most expensive Trim Level Vehicles per Brand within gm and probably won’t be available until mid or towards the end of this decade but I will admit, that would be a cool feature.
You don’t think this hasn’t already been thought of? There will still be a method to unlock and start the vehicle without your face. It’s called a key fob. A key will still be needed in the event of a system failure. Current “keyless” fobs do still have a key stashed away inside them and the door can be unlocked with said key. Lock cylinder is typically hidden behind the door handle under plastic trim that is easily removed when needed.
As for other family members? Newer vehicles can store two or more user profiles therefore, more than one face can open the vehicle.
Problem solved. You’re welcome! 😉
Another reason for me to pick up a couple of nice clean 60’s to 80’s vehicles to keep me going for as long as I remain on this earth!
With the available tech capabilities, I don’t understand why governments haven’t required manufacturers to develop a system that prevents cellphone use by drivers, and operation by drivers impaired by alcohol or a drug. I know it would increase the cost and price of new vehicles, but think of how many lives could be saved. Governments need to get on this.
It could easily be done. But local and state governments make big money from DUI,DWI’S and are in no hurry to see that huge revenue stream end.
So how would google maps work in your car if the car somehow jammed the cell phone signal? What about passengers in the car?
This is 1984 on steroids.
obviously it is for drivers with deep pockets…why do you ask? why it’s elementary Watson…their pockets are too deep to reach the keys,,what about convertables?…no problem…rear view mirror will do the job..what about if the driver is wearing a covid 19 mask.. no problem…manufacturer sells them see thru mask.
Seems like a cool concept but it just seems convenient but really not. It’s just a gimmick to make them able to charge a crazy amount. It also seems really inconvenient if say it is a rental car then you would have to put your Face ID into the car just to start it and even if they still did have phone as key it would still be a lot of work contrary to just having a key fob.
Facial Recognition Door Opener’s…..what a great idea, replacing Fob Keys!! Forget it….today it was 8 Degrees and I sure do enjoy being able to Remote Start my truck….let’s see, with this new technology, I’d have to get my Winter Coat on……trudge out in 8 Degrees and start my Truck because I no longer have my Key Fob as it’s been replaced by this great new technology! Forget it…..
You can start it with your cell phone. Or the key fob that will probably still come with the vehicle. Again, problem solved! 😉
Just another annoying thing nobody wants /likes in a vehicle. Like the start /stop delete devices and software dealerships are selling the aftermarket will hopefully save us again.
LOL Now when you steal a car you have to take off the persons face to wear around
Won’t matter here, in illinois. Strictest biometrics law in the country. Illegal to store bio data. I guess we’ll keep using the key fob.
Two things Pandemic and masks ha ha ha ha.