They are digital or "smart" on keychains or mobile phones, and they can do much more than just open the door and start the engine.

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Call them whatever you want: a digital key in the shape of a credit card, a keyless start pod, a keyless button start device, a smart key or a smart or "smart phone" key. They are the way we open and start the car now-and more-and the original keys of the past are unlikely to return.

Before the pandemic, at a gathering of the International Automobile Press Association in upstate New York, members spent a day driving many new cars on the road near Bear Mountain. I took turns driving an Alfa Romeo, two BMWs, a Volvo, two Volkswagens, a Lexus, an Acura...I forgot about the others.

I never touched the ignition key once.

Of course, the transition from cranks, solenoids, and small metal pieces to remote wireless devices is not just about science and technology. There are elements of convenience, design, ecology and fashion. But it's mainly about science and technology.

However, sometimes people may wish to get a real key; the alternative is not foolproof. Tesla drivers recently used the smartphone app they used to unlock and start the car. The application is not responding because the server is down. The Tesla key "card" would work-Tesla's version of the remote key-but the driver who relied on the phone was stuck. The problem was quickly resolved, and the company's head Elon Musk apologized on Twitter.

"Chrysler introduced the key to operate the combined ignition and start switch in 1949," said Brandt Rosenbusch, the former historical service manager of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (now known as Stellattis). "Before this," he added, "the car started the ignition by turning the key, and then the driver pressed the start button on the floor or dashboard." Before the 1960s, most vehicles required a separate Encode the key to turn on the ignition switch and a key to open the door or trunk.

Many years ago, when I got a new license, I often asked Dad: "Can I get the key?" That only means one thing: Can I drive? Usually he would throw them over, one key for ignition and one key for Oldsmobile's car door. "Be careful," he would say.

Today’s teenagers will ask: "Dad, can I have this bracelet?"

The remote control key-believed to be related to the German word fuppe, which means pocket-took decades to acquire the remote function and send the coded radio signal to the receiver in the car. Usually, the first "remote key function" is to allow the driver to lock and unlock the door. Advances in technology have given it the ability to open the trunk, activate the alarm system, and ultimately develop "smart": just take it into the cockpit and press the "start" button on or near the dashboard. The new technology also helps thwart the robber’s best efforts in 60 seconds.

Some keys of the 20th century developed individuality. Volkswagen likes switchblade keys, which slide out of the key chain like a razor. Some coded ignition keys can only be used in certain cars. In Volvo's new electric XC40 Recharge SUV, the "start" function is located on the driver's seat: Put the remote control key in his pocket, and he only needs to put his back on the cushion to start the motor. When he lifted (away from the mat), the engine stopped.

Many years ago, Porsche engineers participating in the Le Mans race decided to place the ignition device on the left side of the steering wheel to save time at the start of the race. Drivers of other cars must first start the engine with their right hand, and then engage the first gear. In Porsche, the left hand turns the key and the right hand engages the shift at the same time: most Porsches today have the ignition switch on the left.

Some vehicle operating functions have been outsourced to smart phones. For example, some BMW apps can start a car remotely; it will run for 15 minutes, heat or cool the cabin, and then automatically shut down. But certain types of hardware—round or square wireless remote control keys with small buttons for opening and closing doors, hatches, windows, and sunroofs, as well as “panic” functions that may trigger car alarm systems—very May be retained on mobile devices Todd Parker, GM's global design director, said that these devices "completely eliminate the need for physical hardware."

The progress of the remote control key is undoubtedly unstoppable, and the ultimate recipient-the car buyer-is in the crosshairs. At the Volvo dealership in Bayside Queens, salesperson Peter Fearon stated that the migration from metal keys to electronic controllers is a fait accompli. "Everything in the car is controlled by the computer," he said. "Everyone is very happy."

Not everyone, said John Abbenian, who works for Gulf Volkswagen next door to Volvo.

"Usually older people, they don't like pressing a button to start a car," he said. "They were worried that they would forget to turn off the car. They thought it would fail in some way. A young man just wanted to talk to the car. "Start the car and drive me home. "This is a completely different mentality."

Mr. Albanese, who has sold various brands of cars for 43 years, also said that modern FOB equipment complicates the delivery process. "We explained these functions, but half of the time what we told customers was that one ear went into the other ear," he said. "And the user manual...well, never touched it, never opened it."

Another problem is to replace the lost modern smart key. Mr. Albanese warned that the number was more than $200, "Then every key must be programmed because every car is different." (I remember secretly copying Dad’s Oldsmobile ignition key: $1.75.)

any. Mr. Parker of General Motors believes that Hyundai Key "allows us to completely redefine the vehicle ownership experience."

"Car keys-no matter what form they take-will create a seamless bridge between the unique preferences of the individual driver and the vehicle itself," he added. "Our vehicles will even automatically adjust the cabin temperature, lights, music, and seat position settings before opening the door. The development of key automotive technologies will continue to expand the scope and capabilities of these unique experiences."