TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., an automotive safety systems manufacturer, brings its Passive Entry system to Chrysler's new 2013 Ram trucks, offering a greater level of convenience than traditional Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) systems.

"TRW aims to assist our customers in offering enhanced value and features to our Radio Frequency products, while integrating more of the entry system's functional control into a single electronic control unit. The launch of our Passive Entry system on the full range of Ram trucks exemplifies both of these trends and we are pleased to be working with our colleagues at Chrysler in bringing this system to market," said Bob Evans, vice president, sales for TRW Global Electronics.    

The Ram truck's Passive Entry (PE) system – sold under the name "Keyless Enter 'n Go" -- enables the vehicle's doors to be automatically unlocked when a person carrying the key-fob comes within close proximity of the vehicle's door sensor and when the door handle is grabbed, without any need to press the key-fob buttons – the fob can remain in a  jacket pocket, purse or handbag. This maintains vehicle security while allowing a driver or passenger easy entry into the vehicle.  This feature is further enhanced on the new Ram with "All-Secure" (TM) which uses the Keyless Enter 'n Go to lock/unlock the doors, tailgate and RamBox system (if so equipped) simultaneously without the need for separate keys.

"There are many potential advantages to Passive Entry systems," said Ken Kaiser, vice president, Global Electronics Engineering. "Once the fob has been recognized by the Passive Entry system a range of functions are available, such as lighting the interior at night time; starting the engine by simply pressing a start/stop button in the vehicle interior, and alerting the driver if they have left the key fob in the car with the engine running." 

"On its own, TRW is using its considerable experience in RF products to offer greater opportunities to deliver information and personalize the driving experience. For example, key fobs could store vehicle date including mileage, tire pressure data, vehicle service information and navigation map information, as well as personal settings for interior features such as seat and mirror positions and radio and air conditioning settings,"  Kaiser concluded.