Deadly GM switch spells demise of antiquated ignition key, according to Bloomberg.
The furor over General Motors Co.’s (GM) deadly ignition switch has the potential to doom the antiquated car key, a technology drivers have been using — and complaining about — for 65 years.
Testifying before Congress this month, GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said the recall of 2.59 million affected cars may prompt the company to make push-button start standard in all its vehicles. The shift by the largest U.S. automaker would hasten a technological evolution that began with the hand-crank starter more than a century ago, before Chrysler introduced the keyed ignition across its lineup in 1949.
Push-button start, which showed up in Mercedes models in the late 1990s, is now an option in 72 percent of 2014 cars and trucks in the U.S., according to Edmunds.com. In a survey conducted by auto researcher AutoPacific, consumers ranked the technology the fifth most coveted upgrade for $100 or less. This month the New York auto show used a push button as its logo.
