Does it lock by itself?

[Ronnie]

Apparently modern cars lock automatically, when you are driving and when you leave the car. Does the Slate do this? I never lock my vehicles at home, and often leave the keys in them. Last thing i want is to carry a key fob all the time just so i do not get locked out. In a public parking lot of course I want to lock it, and would take the fob with me.

 

[danielt1263]

My 2015 Kia will refuse to lock if the fob is in the car, and refuse to let the trunk lid latch if the fob is in the trunk. I expect the Slate will do the same.

I had an Altima that would lock automatically when you walked the fob out of range of the car. I hated it and haven't found such a feature on any other car.

Most cars will auto-lock while driving; I don't see any problem with that.

 

[Driven5]

Most modern cars do also let you turn off the auto door locking if you don't like it.

 

[pdxmotorhead]

OUr Bolt starts honking till you come and get the keys. Its probly a setting but since I seldom drive it it keeps me from leaving them in a unlocked car.. LOL

 

[Susan]

Wow, more automation I didn't know existed. I'll be very happy to skip stuff like this too.

 

[The Weatherman]

Can’t say with any certainty, but I highly doubt this budget buggy will have anything like WAL (walk away lock). It may have auto lock on drive. That may be a safety feature to assist in their getting a five star crash rating they are seeking.

 

[Ronnie]

Can’t say with any certainty, but I highly doubt this budget buggy will have anything like WAL (walk away lock). It may have auto lock on drive. That may be a safety feature to assist in their getting a five star crash rating they are seeking.

I am ok with it locking while driving. I hope you are right about WAL. My most current vehicle still uses an actuall key. Guess i am out of date....

 

[Shrink36s]

I like the locking while driving. I do not like the walk away locking. I see the appeal, it just doesn’t work for me.

Anyway, my preferences matter not. I don’t think the added complication of having low frequency sensors to detect the closeness of the key, and the extra compute power to process it all makes sense for their model and budget goals.

Judging by the key, it will have push button lock/unlock, open the frunk, auto-start for warming up, and panic. The key works by a proximity security NFC or RF chip to allow starting of the vehicle. Same as a dead battery in my Equinox key fob requires the fob to be in the cup holder.

That’s standard now days, and probably more than enough complication to fit in budget.

I will add, those radio frequencies emitted by the fob are also security risks. There are devices that can pick up and relay those signals from inside the house to the vehicle and get it to start to be driven away. I’m good without that.

 

[kvermeer]

I never lock my vehicles at home, and often leave the keys in them. Last thing i want is to carry a key fob all the time just so i do not get locked out.

Same! I hate the giant, bulky, heavy keys that all new cars seem to have. I wish the key was just a 2mm thin slab of metal, not a clunky, chunky fob that makes an uncomfortable lump in my pocket. You can push buttons accidentally, and it can't get wet, and if you want it on a key ring it sits at a right angle, just...ugh. Plus, my local locksmith can cut me a replacement normal key for $20, while fobs are like $200 and only available at the annoying dealer.

Hopefully Slate sells spare keys direct-to-consumer for cheap, if so, you will be able to find a spare key for mine in a Faraday bag in the hide-a-key bolted to the frame under the truck.

My wife's Highlander has a fob and push-to-start, and it's way bigger than I'd want it to be, but the good news is that it just unlocks if the fob is in it. I think it could get locked inside if the coin cell dies, but it's not too bad. I trust the Slate will do the same with their fob. I do think it's interesting that the Slate key has a receptacle it clicks into in the dash, perhaps it's a shorter range NFC connection? (Magma key option FTW, can't get lost in plain sight on the counter if it's fluorescent metallic orange!)

 

[E90400K]

Same! I hate the giant, bulky, heavy keys that all new cars seem to have. I wish the key was just a 2mm thin slab of metal, not a clunky, chunky fob that makes an uncomfortable lump in my pocket. You can push buttons accidentally, and it can't get wet, and if you want it on a key ring it sits at a right angle, just...ugh. Plus, my local locksmith can cut me a replacement normal key for $20, while fobs are like $200 and only available at the annoying dealer.

Hopefully Slate sells spare keys direct-to-consumer for cheap, if so, you will be able to find a spare key for mine in a Faraday bag in the hide-a-key bolted to the frame under the truck.

My wife's Highlander has a fob and push-to-start, and it's way bigger than I'd want it to be, but the good news is that it just unlocks if the fob is in it. I think it could get locked inside if the coin cell dies, but it's not too bad. I trust the Slate will do the same with their fob. I do think it's interesting that the Slate key has a receptacle it clicks into in the dash, perhaps it's a shorter range NFC connection? (Magma key option FTW, can't get lost in plain sight on the counter if it's fluorescent metallic orange!)

This gets back to my position that the manual windows are a complete mismatch to the electric door locks. It makes no sense. The response from Slate was that the female contingent of the Slate team feels the electric locking function via a key fob is a safety issue. Since most women keep their keys in their purse, a big bulky key fob is not an issue for them. I agree with you, I hate the big bulky key fob and was hoping the Slate would just use a simple blade key/mechanical lock tumbler system that matches the manual roll-up window meme. Back in the mid-2000's BMW had the perfect solution, which was a blade key and a somewhat bulky key body that has the electronics built into it. But we've all seen the Slate's key fob. At least the driver has to insert the key fob into a slot on the dash, which I like.

 

[Dreadnought]

So many regulations have been put on cars now for “safety “ reasons that it’s hard to tell the fluff from the requirements( part of the out of control prices). Anything that’s not strictly required should be skipped though. That’s the point of and the appeal of this.

 

[cadblu]

I never lock my vehicles at home, and often leave the keys in them.

Well, for starters I wouldn’t try this in my neighborhood. I also wouldn’t tell anyone, especially my insurance company. 😲

 

[Ronnie]

Well, for starters I wouldn’t try this in my neighborhood. I also wouldn’t tell anyone, especially my insurance company. 😲

I am in a really secure area. Also when on a job and i am right with the truck i want to not have it in my pocket

 

[ZuliMuli]

Even my 21 year old Jetta has auto lock on both moving and walking away, I'd be more surprised if it didn't have this.

 

[Kopsis]

Even my 21 year old Jetta has auto lock on both moving and walking away, I'd be more surprised if it didn't have this.

I'm pretty sure lock-on-moving is a crash safety need. Locked doors are less likely to come open in a severe crash which reduces the risk of occupant injury. Walk-away-locking is a feature that users are split on so some manufacturers include it, some don't. For some it's a model-to-model decision. My 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid had it, my 2025 Kia EV6 doesn't.

However, Slate appears to have no built-in medium-range RF capability. What Slate has shown is that the key fob has to actually be inserted into a receptacle in the dash. Unclear if there's a short range NFC-style RF interface for that, or if there are actual electrical contacts that let Slate see the fob. But in any case, it doesn't appear the truck can even see the key approach/leave so walk-away-locking is likely not possible.