I was looking at the plethora of gadgets that I and the family carry around with me in the car these days, 2-3 iPods (depending on kids), 1 x iPad (won in competition) excellent for kids on long journeys, 2 mobile phones, Sat nav. I'm sure there are other things as well.

Most (my TomTom 910 excepted) of these gadgets can be charged using USB, indeed thats how I charge most of my stuff. T'other half charges her HTC from the wall plug.

My Octavia has a 12V cigarette lighter socket, which is a horrible way to get power from. It's old fashioned, big, clunky and I've never used it to light anything and never will. Adaptors for these need constant attention to fit securely. Blah!

So given that the USB port is fairly ubiquitous for electrical gadgets (I know there are different ends to cables), so why don't we have a couple of USB sockets in the car, not to read data to and from (but hey, it's not too far away, my Bolero has an SD socket) but to simply charge the stuff we carry around. If enough current can be put down a 12V cigarette lighter, surely a single or dual port USB can't be beyond the wit of somebody. A USB socket means the same cables at home and the car, cheaper and easier for everybody.

So whats wrong with this idea? We can limit the current draw of the sockets quite easily, keep the current clean and level isn't that difficult.

Suggestion and ideas welcomed Or better still tell me where I can buy it.

Rob.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Micro-USB-Adaptor-F8Z445EA/

Would be good to have USB sockets OEM fitted though

I have used the circuit board from inside a double usb charger and connected it to the ciggy lighter under the centre console. I use one cable to go to a USB port i have made in one of the blanks where the traction control/tms buttons are.

when looking at the ciggy lighter - the centre point is live, the outer is ground.

On a USB ciggy lighter, again the centre is live and the outer, ground.

I soldered two wires from inside the usb adapter circuitboard and spliced them into the feed to the ciggy lighter.

You can also take a switched live from fuse 19 and find a ground for the other wire.

An idea would be to turn the rear ashtray into a 4 port USB charger. have one in the front cubbyhole, one to the right of the dashboard for satnav/phone.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Micro-USB-Adaptor-F8Z445EA/

I was looking at a double version of that design in HalFrauds on Sunday.

I've got several adapters which split 1 lighter sockets in to 2x lighters + 2x usb

Have a google - loads of different designs out there, and new ones turning up all the time

I guess carrying on the OP themes though, considering we're not encouraged to smoke anymore, you'd have thought the lighter itself was increasely redundant, and just used as power points, so why don't the manufactures simply put usb sokcets in instead ?

Some good ideas here. I hadn't realised that these adapters even existed.

I don't like the idea of adapters hanging out of ciggie lighters, so will investigate the USB route.

I like the idea of a four port USB adapter in the rear. That would be great for the kids iPad/iPod (and the iPod in the centre console feeding the AUX socket).

Pictures and more information are always welcome.

Edited 6 April, 201115 yr by Rob Willett

I have no wires on show, unless I use the ciggy lighter for my work phone.

I'll pic it when I get a chance

The Belkin adaptor is quite neat - when plugged into the cigar lighter socket on the Yeti it protrudes about 8mm and converts the socket to a USB outlet (power only of course).

It is much smaller and neater than some adaptors I have seen and is a reasonably secure fit.

Got mine from Amazon at less than £4.

Belkin in situ....

If I were to leave one of these plugged in, would it drain my battery? I have a fabia and the socket is permanent live

I would imagine the LED (the only thing drawing any current when no device plugged into to charge) would have any noticable effect. The car's ECU/Alarm system will draw vastly more current.

If I were to leave one of these plugged in, would it drain my battery? I have a fabia and the socket is permanent live

I would imagine the LED (the only thing drawing any current when no device plugged into to charge) would have any noticable effect. The car's ECU/Alarm system will draw vastly more current.

I agree. The Belkin adaptor would be technically live, as the cigarette lighter power supply is constant. As such I tend to remove it when I'm not using it.