CharonPDX
Well-Known Member
On the "physical key" front - my son's 2022 Subaru still has a physical key to unlock the doors manually and start the ignition.
The "advanced" BMW i3 I had a few years ago still has the "hidden physical key in the fob you can use to manually unlock the door" - you had to pry open a cover on the door handle to get to the hidden keyhole. The key couldn't start the car, that was 100% "keyless" wireless fob connection, but you could open the door with it.
And of course, opening from the inside was mechanical release. And it even had frameless windows that lowered slightly when opening. They recommended closing the doors gently if the vehicle had no power, but that wasn't an excuse for having 100%-electronically-actuated. They just had it lower slightly as you pulled the handle, actuating before the handle was pulled far enough to actually physically unlatch the door.
My Mach-E had electronic-poppers from the outside, but physically-releasing handle on the inside.
The "advanced" BMW i3 I had a few years ago still has the "hidden physical key in the fob you can use to manually unlock the door" - you had to pry open a cover on the door handle to get to the hidden keyhole. The key couldn't start the car, that was 100% "keyless" wireless fob connection, but you could open the door with it.
And of course, opening from the inside was mechanical release. And it even had frameless windows that lowered slightly when opening. They recommended closing the doors gently if the vehicle had no power, but that wasn't an excuse for having 100%-electronically-actuated. They just had it lower slightly as you pulled the handle, actuating before the handle was pulled far enough to actually physically unlatch the door.
My Mach-E had electronic-poppers from the outside, but physically-releasing handle on the inside.
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