Cabin Philosophy: What the Humble Car Lighter Reveals About How Automakers Think About You
The placement of a cigarette lighter might seem like a minor design decision, but automakers have spent decades obsessing over exactly where it lands on your dashboard — and why. From chrome-ringed dash inserts to vanishing 12V ports in modern EVs, the story of the car lighter is really a story about how the industry sees the American driver. Pull up a seat, because this one runs deeper than you'd expect.