Traditional Car Key

The standard key used by the auto industry is purely mechanical; put it into an ignition cylinder and turn to start your car.

Car Key Fob

The first fobs were add-ons and meant to be a convenience. They can lock and unlock your vehicle, but you still use a traditional key to start the car. The key can also be used to unlock the doors.

Car Key Fob And Switchblade Key

After the detached fob was released, auto manufacturers combined the two in a mechanism that would lock and unlock a vehicle with a spring-loaded key that folds into it, like a switchblade.

Transponder Key

Created to be a better anti-theft device, auto manufacturers came up with transponders in the early- to mid-1990s. Transponders are ignition keys that have a plastic head embedded with a computer chip; they rely on the wireless connection between your key and the car before they will allow the ignition to engage.

Smart Key

Also known as “keyless ignition,” a smart key is associated with vehicles that have a start button on the dash. Smart-key technology operates via a proximity sensor in the vehicle that automatically knows when the smart key (which is not a key at all, but a paired sensor) is nearby. It then unlocks the vehicle and allows it to be started with the push of a button.