Be surprised at how many ways there are to start a car

The car key we take for granted on a daily basis is on the brink of quietly becoming obsolete.

In the United States, a majority of the cars sold new in 2018 were equipped with an ignition button. But while keyless technology is killing the key, its reign won’t last long because it’s about to get decimated by smartphones. The list of companies either currently offering or planning to offer a phone-as-key function continues to grow and motorists more infatuated with their smartphone than ever have so far welcomed the feature with open arms.

From cranks to apps, join us as we chart how the process of starting a car has evolved, right from the, ahem, start:

The crank (late 1800s)

In the earliest days of the automotive industry, starting a car required using a big crank to manually turn the engine until it fired. Hand-cranking a car was challenging, especially for motorists who drove a car with a large-displacement engine, and it was often dangerous. An engine backfire could send the crank spinning backwards with a tremendous amount of force and break the user’s thumb, wrist or arm.

Add the mechanical problems that frequently plagued early cars into the equation and starting an engine around the turn of the 20th century became so difficult that the word cranky was coined to refer to someone in a bad mood because his car wouldn’t start. Electric cars were much easier and considerably safer to start, the process usually involved only hitting a switch, which partly explains why they were marketed as women’s cars during the early 20th century. PICTURE: 1921 Fiat 801-402 Corsa 

Death by crank (1908)

Starting a car in the early 1900s could even be deadly. Entrepreneur Byron J. Carter, who founded an automaker named Motorcar (which he later renamed Cartercar) in 1904, allegedly suffered a broken jaw when trying to hand-crank a stalled car on the Belle Isle bridge near Detroit, Michigan. The crank struck him in the face when the engine backfired. He caught pneumonia while recovering from his injuries and died in 1908, aged just 44.

Carter was good friends with Henry Leland, the man who founded both Cadillac and Lincoln. His grisly death motivated Leland to push for the development of a better way to start a car. In an interesting twist of fate, General Motors purchased Cartercar in 1909 and phased out the brand in 1915. PICTURE: 1905 Cartercar Model A 

Cadillac’s electric starter (1912)

American engineer Clyde Coleman was granted a patent for the electric starter in 1903. It greatly facilitated the task of starting a car and made even big, powerful vehicles much more user-friendly. Coleman didn’t make cars so he sold his patent to Delco, a firm which was later purchased by General Motors.

Delco engineer Charles Kettering separately designed and patented a similar electric starter. His idea came from technology he developed for cash registers in the early 1900s. General Motors gave its Cadillac division the distinction of inaugurating the electric starter in its 1912 Touring Edition. The feature was nothing less than revolutionary. It quickly spread across the automotive industry during the 1910s; even Ford’s bargain-priced Model T came with a starter motor after 1919.

European automakers gradually adopted the starter motor, too, but many continued to offer a crank as a back-up solution for decades. The Citroën 2CV notably shipped with a crank until the last example rolled off the assembly line in 1990.

Cadillac’s key (1916)

The electric starter motor made driving more convenient for car owners. It also made stealing a car considerably easier for thieves. All they had to do was hop in, which was often as easy as it sounds, push a button and drive off. Cadillac introduced the ignition key on the Type 53 made only in 1916. For the first time, owners needed to insert the key in an ignition barrel and turn it to the on position before pushing the starter button. This solution wasn’t fool-proof, thieves quickly figured out how to hot-wire a car, but it added peace of mind and – like other innovations – quickly spread across the automotive industry.

The Type 53 (pictured) is also credited as the first car with the gear selector placed between the seats and the three pedals – clutch, brake and accelerator – in the same order they’re still in today.

A moment of silence for Rudolf Diesel (1936)

Rudolf Diesel invented the engine that bears his name but Mercedes-Benz is widely credited as the first automaker to successfully bring it to mass production. Released in 1936, the 260 D (pictured) came with – as its name vaguely implied – a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 45hp. It had no spark plugs; the engine’s compression ignited the air-fuel mixture in the cylinders.

Starting the 260 D when its engine was cold required waiting for the glow plugs to make the cylinders hot enough for the mixture to ignite. The wait was sometimes amusingly called a moment of silence for Rudolf Diesel, who died in 1913.

Waiting for the glow plug light to turn off was normally a very minor inconvenience. When the temperature dropped, or when the glow plugs were worn out, starting a diesel-powered car sometimes required several glowing cycles – and an annoying long wait. Manufacturers like Bosch went to significant lengths to improve glow plug technology, especially during the 1980s. In 2019, starting a new diesel-powered car requires no waiting unless it’s been sitting in the freezing cold for hours on end.

Chrysler’s ignition barrel (1949)

The electric starter motor sent the crank to the pantheon of automotive history but starting a car during the 1920s wasn’t as easy as turning a key. Motorists needed to use the key to turn the ignition to its on position and activate the starter motor using a button often located on the dashboard, on the steering column or on the floor next to the pedals. Depending on the model, they might have needed to also adjust the choke, open the fuel valve and set the spark advance.

The next major development came from Chrysler. In 1949, the company released an ignition switch that activated the starter motor when the driver turned the key slightly beyond the on position. It automatically returned to the on position once the engine had started. If this sounds familiar, it's because Chrysler's solution was used for decades on millions of cars. This innovation was originally developed for convenience but it was also billed as a safety feature; children couldn’t accidentally move a car parked in gear by pressing the starter button.

Like the electric starter, the ignition barrel spread quickly across the automotive industry. However, some cars used a starter switch into the 1970s. PICTURE: 1949 Chrysler New Yorker Club Coupe 

Fiat’s pull-type starter (1957)

Fiat developed the 500 with a pull-type starter system in a bid to make it as cheap to build as possible. After turning the ignition key to the on position, the driver needed to pull on a small lever located between the front seats (next to the choke lever) to start the engine. The lever was connected to a cable that ran underneath the car. The other end was attached to a switch on the starter motor. Pulling on the lever sent power to the starter by actuating the switch.

Also used by the 126 early in its production run, this system replaced the starter solenoid. Fiat fitted some late 500s with an ignition barrel to appease buyers who asked for additional convenience features from the firm's smallest model.

Ford’s double-sided keys (1965)

For decades, car keys looked a lot like house keys. Motorists had to insert the key into the ignition barrel with the correct side up to be able to start the car. Ford introduced a double-sided key on the 1965 Thunderbird (pictured) that let drivers start the car regardless of whether the key was placed in the ignition top up or top down.

Saab moves the ignition (1968)

Motorists unfamiliar with the Saab 99 likely needed to ask for help before starting the engine. The Swedish firm moved the ignition barrel from the steering column to a panel located between the front seats after noticing drivers often hit their knee on the key during an accident. Most later Saabs retained this solution and it became one of the company’s defining features.

Remote engine starters (1980s)

Aftermarket manufacturers began offering remote engine starters during the middle of the 1980s. The technology let motorists start their car’s engine by pressing a button on their key fob if they were within a pre-set distance of the car. While this might sound frivolous, it was life-changing for drivers in cold regions because they were able to heat their car’s cabin before driving to work without leaving the comfort of their home. It’s no coincidence that the first companies who sold remote engine starters were based in Canada.

It took a shockingly long amount of time for automakers themselves to begin offering a remote engine starter. One of the first cars available with the feature directly from the factory was the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu (pictured). In 2019, Chevrolet, Ford and Nissan are among the brands that make a remote-operated starter available on at least some of their models. It’s a technology that’s not rare but not exactly common, either.

Mercedes-Benz’s flip key (1989)

The R129-generation Mercedes-Benz SL introduced in 1989 was so full of technical innovations that one neat but not ground-breaking feature was often overlooked. It’s widely credited as the first mass-produced car to come with a key that flips out of the fob at the push of a button. More than just a neat party trick, the flip key was welcomed with open arms by anyone who had ever inadvertently stabbed themselves in the thigh by sitting on their keys.

Dozens of automakers offered either a copy or a variation of the flip key during the 1990s and it's a feature that's still common in 2019.

Mercedes-Benz’s SmartKey (1998)

Siemens developed SmartKey technology during the 1990s to replace the key fob that was becoming common across the automotive industry. Introduced in 1998 on the W220-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the SmartKey took the form of a plastic fob the driver placed in a slot located on the dashboard, where the ignition would normally be.

Once the car’s ECU recognized the fob, the driver could turn it like a normal key to start the engine. SmartKey technology spread to every member of the Mercedes line-up during the 2000s.

Renault’s key card (2001)

Renault became the first mainstream automaker to offer a push-button ignition when it released the second-generation Laguna in 2001. The key fob took the form of a credit card-sized device the driver needed to insert in a slot located on the bottom of the center console, below the climate control interface. After the car recognized the card, the driver could push a button on the dashboard to start the engine – theoretically, at least.

Early examples of the second-generation Laguna were plagued by electronic problems and the key card system wasn’t spared. Renault improved the technology during the car’s production run and later added the feature to other models, including the Espace.

Other manufacturers quickly followed its example, especially as wireless technology made it possible for drivers to start their car without taking the key out of their pocket or purse. In a way, starting a car in the early 2000s had become similar to starting a car in the 1910s: the driver had to push a button. 11% of the cars sold new in the United States came with a push-button ignition in 2008. That number jumped to 62% in 2018 and we expect it will continue to grow.

Dodge’s red key (2015)

Dodge delivers every Hellcat-powered Charger (pictured) and Challenger with two key fobs. Starting the supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 engine with the black fob tells the car’s ECU to limit the V8’s output to 500hp. Starting the engine with the red fob gives drivers access to the V8’s full 717hp output.

Bugatti Chiron owners have a similar choice to make. The standard key electronically limits the Chiron’s top speed to 236mph. If that speed is just too pedestrian for you, hitting the 261mph speed-limited top speed requires popping a second key out of a compartment located between the driver-side door and the driver’s seat and inserting it in a slot found in the same location.

Hyundai teams up with Alexa (2016)

Hyundai announced a partnership with Amazon's Alexa in late 2016. After downloading the Alexa smartphone app, users need to enable the software to access Hyundai’s Blue Link infotainment system and log into the platform using their MyHyundai account. When everything is connected, users can say “Alexa, tell Blue Link to remote start by Tucson and set the temperature to 72 degrees” and technology takes care of the rest. Alexa compatibility also lets Hyundai owners use voice commands to lock or unlock their car, among other functions.

In 2019, Hyundai announced a similar tie-up with Google that will let owners perform the aforementioned functions via a Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker. The feature will be available in select markets (including the United States) by the end of 2019.

Volvo’s Digital Key (2016)

Volvo announced its Digital Key feature in 2016. It explained Bluetooth technology allowed owners to leave their key fob at home and instead use their phone to lock or unlock their car and start the engine. The Digital Key also made it possible for Volvo owners to share their car with someone by instantly sending a key, even if they’re thousands of miles away.

Volvo believes its Digital Key will ultimately make the car key obsolete but it plans on making regular fobs available for as long as customers ask for one.

Tesla’s key card (2017)

The Tesla Model 3 doesn’t come with a key fob. Instead, buyers receive a pair of key cards that look a lot like the cards you get in many hotels. Unlocking the Model 3 requires tapping the card on the middle of the driver-side B-pillar; starting it requires tapping the card on the space directly behind the cupholders and pressing the brake pedal.

However, Tesla notes the preferred way of unlocking and starting the Model 3 is by pairing a smartphone to the vehicle. Using Bluetooth frequencies, the car unlocks itself when it senses the user’s phone is near. To drive off, the user needs to press the brake pedal and shift into gear. Other automakers offer similar technology.

What’s next? (2019 and beyond)

New technology and shifting market trends are both changing the way motorists interact with their car. While the average driver might be fully satisfied with pushing a button on a key fob to unlock a car, a company operating a fleet of 200 shared cars driven by thousands of people each month needs a more convenient way to grant drivers access to a specific vehicle and revoke it if necessary. Smartphones and the Internet of things (IOT) help make this seemingly daunting task possible.

Note: Byton concept car pictured.

Hyundai’s fingerprint sensors

Hyundai ripped a page from the Apple playbook when it developed a technology best described as Touch ID for cars. Thanks to fingerprint-sensing technology, drivers can unlock the car by touching a small sensor integrated into the door handle and they can start the engine by placing their finger over the ignition switch. Capacitance recognition ensures thieves won’t be able to access a vehicle with a paper copy of the owner’s fingerprint; they’d need the entire finger to break in, which would be inconvenient but not impossible.

In select markets, including the United States, Hyundai will offer the Santa Fe with an optional fingerprint sensor starting in 2019. Additional markets and models will certainly follow.

Bosch’s Perfectly Keyless technology

Bosch traveled to CES 2019 to unveil a technology named Perfectly Keyless that makes keyless-entry systems easier to use and more difficult to hack into. Perfectly Keyless stores a digital key directly in the user’s phone. When a motorist approaches his or her vehicle, sensors neatly hidden beneath the body panels unlock the car if they recognize the signal sent by the phone via the cloud. This is the main difference between Perfectly Keyless and other systems (like Volvo's and Tesla’s) which rely on Bluetooth connectivity or Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology.

Users don’t need to take their phone out of their pocket or bag to enter their car. If they lose their device, they can deactivate the digital key online in a matter of seconds. Bosch plans to bring Perfectly Keyless to production in 2021 but it hasn’t revealed which automaker will be the first to offer the technology.

Apple’s fingerprint sensors

While Apple might never release its own car, the company is actively seeking other ways to push its technology into the automotive industry. Apple CarPlay is a good example of its diversification efforts. In 2017, it patented a technology that allows motorists to lock or unlock a car using Face ID or Touch ID, two features iPhone-wielding motorists likely use on a daily basis. Face ID scans the user’s face to unlock a phone or authorize access to an app or service; Touch ID recognizes fingerprints.

Looking ahead, Apple could license this technology to automakers. Motorists might be able to unlock their car and start its engine (or, more likely, its electric motor) by putting their finger on a sensor. Hyundai is leading the pack so its rivals could turn to Apple to quickly catch up rather than spending time and money on developing the technology in-house.