When was the heated steering wheel invented

Mercedes and Audi are known to have the best-ventilated seats that will ensure you have a cool driving experience when the temperatures become unbearable. The Long Range can drive up to miles on a single charge and reach 60 mph in 3. In the late s and early s, car makers began using outside air for climate control. By the early s, modern heaters became standard on all GM cars, with other manufacturers around the world following soon after. The easiest way to add Apple Carplay to any car would be through an aftermarket radio.

For example, here's a Ferrari manettino, which enables the driver to adjust the car's performance setting with a simple turn of a switch.

You might think it isn't necessary, but once you've enjoyed a nice, warm steering wheel on a freezing day, you don't want to go back to clutching anything that isn't heated. I know from experience because my own car, a Toyota Prius , has seat heaters — but not a heated steering wheel.

And it is such a bummer to hop into it on a chilled morning after having spent time, as we did recently, with an Audi SUV that had the feature. It isn't always standard on fancier cars, by the way, but is often included as part of an options package. As with most once luxurious features, the heated steering wheel is going to work its way down the price range. In fact, it already has, with more mass-market vehicles now offering a happy hand warmer than in the past. Former retail auto industry professional for almost a decade and an automotive writer and journalist for the last 8 years.

Skip to content. Diagram showing the heating element of a heated steering wheel. Continue Reading. But in , some carmakers began fitting the cruise control operating switches onto the wheel. As car technology progressed, so too did the need for buttons and switches. Morgan has lived all over the USA and in Europe. Now residing just outside of Philly, Morgan often spends time at local sporting events, testing the limits of her caffeine tolerance levels, and playing board games with their wife.

See more articles by Morgan. Added on June 16, Morgan Pritchett automotive history , car history.