Although electric vehicles are already pretty impressive pieces of gadgetry, there’s no harm in adding more tech and accessories - and there’s a lot on the market!
From more practical gadgets - charging cable organisers, electric tyre inflators - to the fun and quirky - steering wheel trays and LED lighting - there’s something for everyone.
Let’s get plugged in…
If you’d rather not have your Type 2 charging cable loose in your boot or bonnet, then maybe a cable bag is more your… bag. There are quite a few different options out there (you can even get bespoke bags made), so if you’re interested, it might be worth having a quick search on the internet to see what takes your fancy!
Dust, dirt, food - vehicles can become dirty quickly, and sometimes, attaching your house hoover to an extension cable isn’t always practical. In these instances, a handheld hoover could be your next best friend. Like their full-sized counterparts, there’s a lot of choice out there, so it really comes down to preference and price point. We’d recommend using a price comparison site or asking friends and family for recommendations.
All the vehicle insurance companies recommend installing a dash camera, but what actually is it? A dash camera is a small camera typically placed on the dashboard or windscreen of your car, looking out onto the road. When the car is turned on, the camera starts recording and will log your entire journey. This means that should you get into any scrapes when out and about, you’ll have the incident recorded - handy for insurance claims!
If stopping for an air top-up is one of the more annoying practicalities of driving, then a portable air pump might be your gadget. As tyres are the only contact between a vehicle and the road, they must be regularly checked and kept in good condition. There are many options for portable air pumps these days, but our favourites are cordless and rechargeable (+ include LED lights)!
Although it’s still recommended that you look at your surroundings before reversing, many new electric vehicles have rearview cameras already installed - meaning you can see the view from your back windows from the vehicle dashboard. If your vehicle doesn’t have a rearview camera, but you like the sound of having some extra digital eyes on the road, then this could be for you. There are plenty of options to choose from, so we recommend searching on your preferred web browser!
Being a backseat passenger definitely has its perks, but storage is not one of them. If there are regularly three people in the back of the car, then space is of the utmost importance - bags between legs are bearable for only so long! Back seat organisers hang from the two front car seats and offer different storage solution hacks such as drinks holders, collapsable trays, laptop holders, bin compartments, umbrella holders, bag hooks - you name it, they’ve got it. Depending on what you’re looking for there are tons of different options available online - all you need to do is a quick internet search!
If you’re a more DIY person, then an electric car jack could quickly become your favourite thing. Instead of waiting on the side of the road for assistance to arrive (potentially hours later) and pop a new tyre on your car, why not do it yourself? If you can, that is. An electric car jack will do the heavy lifting and get the side of the car you need off the road up in a few minutes.
If you feel like the footwells of your car could use some ambient lighting then you’re in good company, as there are many different ways to introduce customised lighting to your vehicle. Perhaps the most popular way is through LED lighting strips, which you can fasten to the sides of the footwell. These are remote-controlled and offer a range of different hues - from pinks to blues. Some you can even programme to change with the rhythm of the music playing in the car. If interior lighting is something you’re interested in, have a search for options online - but please remember, interior lighting is not for illumination purposes and should be kept low so as not to distract the driver or other vehicles on the road.
Did you know that you can get heated blankets for your car? If you’re someone who gets cold quickly, a heated car blanket might be for you - particularly if your vehicle doesn’t have a function for warming your seats or steering wheel. All you need to do is plug it into your vehicle's power outlet (where the cigarette lighter used to be!), and it’ll start to warm within moments. There are lots of choices - from different patterns and materials - so our advice: have a quick internet search and see which is the best blanket for you.
If you’re someone who travels a lot for work or frequently eats lunch from the front seat, then a steering wheel tray might come in handy! Steering wheel trays tend to just clip onto the steering wheel (with some having a fastening tool), and offer a flat surface from which to set up your laptop, write comfortably, or hold your drink and food. Much the same as all the other gadgets, there is a lot of choice when it comes to steering wheel trays, so best to get searching online!
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