New vehicles with no 12V plugin

A caution, see https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=qovIMMpjh67kUuIOBw1qg8.

My personal experience, and not with a rental but a purchase of a new car, is 12v accessory out are in most if not all the cars I looked at, but as the Garmin note says they are difficult to find.

Wow! if 12v outlets go away in new cars what does that say about the future of "portable" gps's?

Phil

It seems to me that many, if not most new cars come equipped with GPS, but the fact that the old 'cigarette lighter' goes away really isn't an issue.

For some reason I can't edit my previous content to add some content.

My personal experience, and not with a rental but a purchase of a new car, is 12v accessory outlets are in most if not all the cars I looked at, but as the Garmin note says they are difficult to find. Note my use of "12v accessory outlet", not cigarette lighter socket. Cigarette lighter sockets, a plug-in typically fused at about 20 amps, have pretty much been removed. But accessory outlets still exist and are typically fused at 10 amps, which is plenty for my Garmin 2689. For my vehicle, I did purchase a splitter, that turns the outlet into two outlets, one for the GPS and one for a phone. A typical splitter is around $5 to $10. The one I have is from AutoZone and can be seen at https://www.autozone.com/12v-products/12-volt-socket-adapter...

For folks like me, it would be an issue. My gps is somewhat of a hobby for me so that I look for reasons to add new destinations in my custom POIs. I wouldn't be able to do that I couldn't plug in my trusty DriveSmart 61.

Phil

In searching for a new vehicle, I found that most new cars did not offer a dedicated built in navigation system but did offer the ability to pair a phone and display the phone on the vehicle screen. See https://www.motorbiscuit.com/navigation-cars-dead-integratio...

In the last year or two many Teslas come equipped with a small lithium battery in place of the small lead acid battery that powers the functions of the car that we all think of as 12 V including the accessory socket.

Most people call this 15 V, and indeed my voltmeter showed 15.5 when I checked. But that is not as much more than what people call 12 V as you might suppose. I think on most cars when the engine is running so the alternator is active and there isn't any major load on the 12 V system you'll find something in the 13 to 14.5 V range at the accessory socket.

Still I don't know whether Garmin is officially okay with getting my higher voltage on the accessory input. Official or not, I have in fact run my Garmin for a few hours on these cars.

I doubt there will be any vehicles sold without a 12 volt accessory outlet. Far too many gadgets folk would have to give up. The outlet may not be on the dash.. but there will be some, and often more than one.

Cigarette lighter going away is an issue.
Can you light a cigarette with USB port?

I haven't ran across that, yet, but then I haven't rented a vehicle in a few years. I did Google the phrase "New Vehicles Without 12 volt outlet" and found these links.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2022/04/most-2022-chevy-silvera...

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=qovIMMpjh67kUuIOBw1qg8

I may get a cable like one of the ones shown. When I go on a bicycle ride, I use my Garmin Zūmo XT that is otherwise used on my Can Am ATV. With a full chargedinternal battery, I can use the Zumo XT for quite a while before it goes into the power saving mode. already have an Anker PowerCore Fusion 10000 battery pack. With that, I would extend the run time of my Garmin Zūmo XT.

With new vehicles moving to USB ports in vehicles, havinig a cable like this may be handy to have. I don't necessarily need one that has a traffic receiver builit-in, I pretty much just need it to power from the USB port.

It looks like there may be other companies selling these, too!

https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Universal-Charging-Regulator-...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194220175614?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DI...

I've rented many vehicles over the last few years and found most, but not all, have 12V outlets. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure when you rent. All the vehicles I've rented that don't have 12V outlets have a 120VAC outlet instead. As a result, I carry a 120 to 12V adapter such as this:

https://www.amazon.com/Converter-Cigarette-Lighter-110-240V-...

If you go this route, make sure the adapter you pick will provide enough current to operate your GPS.

Yes, most rentals these days have on board navigation systems but in my case, I usually have several dozen POI's identified which would be difficult to input.

Apple or Android car play is always a possibility but you have no way of knowing if a rented vehicle has this feature. If not, you're at the mercy of the small smartphone screen. You could also run afoul of the law for using a handheld device in some states.

…over the last several years have had power plugs. I really don’t perceive them going anywhere due to the massive amount of cellphones that need to be connected to some type of power source for charging purposes.

it's a good time to be in the adapter business.

USB C to micro, micro to C, and of course it exists USB of whatever flavor to cigarette lighter socket 12V. imho if one really wants or has to do things with the old standard, they can. Under $5.

https://a.co/d/dLyMpCu

Below is my adapter story. This weekend, I learned a new term: FAKRA (my car is made in Japan)

My wife called me and said the car says Antenna, no XM, and FM/AM works.

I thought, gee, that's weird, I just cleaned the rear glass and was poking around to see how I'm going to install my rear cam for the new dash cam.

But I realized the XM antenna is a puck on the trunk, not on the rear glass.

Imagine my car is so old it has a curry FAKRA and a green FAKRA, neither of which are even made today, and the green was never used.

A person showed what was needed to fix it. A $18 new antenna, with a $9 curry FAKRA adapter. Problem is, if the owner wants the Antenna flashing to go away, it has to be split so that there is a greeen FAKRA plugged in as well. There's where it gets really crazy with splitters and SMBs and F's I'm resolved, it's always cheaper to fix, than to buy a new car. Plus our XM is free, I canceled it in 8/20 and it still works.

When all was said and done, next time she started the car XM worked again. Hope the XM police don't cancel my free service lol

I hope you are right but a lot of cellphones charge in cars via USB or by built in wireless chargers now. But a lot of tire inflators still require a 12V accessory outlet.

Do already have to have a Lifetime traffic subscription for this to pick up traffic?

Not necessarily. My last 3 GPS's a 1390T, 2495LMT and Drivesmart 55 all came with a traffic cable or internal traffic receiver. Never had to subscribe for traffic, just worked out of the box. To get HD traffic, I would need to buy a GTM 60 but, there is no HD traffic anywhere near me anyways so I don't bother with it.

That would be trouble for me when it comes to renting cars. Everything in my own car is installed but with a rental, I need it not only for my Garmin DS55 but my portable radar detector as well. I can't see how 5V would be enough power to run an Escort Redline.

Some vehicles have 12V/USB outlets inside the center console, under the lid. They can be hard to see; you may have to feel around carefully. Some cars have them accessible from the rear seats. I think the glove compartment has been used occasionally. Some SUVs and pickups have them in the trunk; not very helpful if you're trying to run a GPS up front.

I'm not a fan of the trend towards streamlining the dashboard in new vehicles. I still prefer my outlets there and volume and climate control *knobs* rather than having to dive through a series of touchscreen menus. Some vehicles make you touch the screen three times to adjust the climate controls, which is not only silly, but dangerous if you're driving alone. Plus what happens if the touchscreen dies?

And I'd rather have a gearshift than push-button selection of P-R-N-D-L.
/grumble grumble Get Off My Lawn!

Have rented many cars over the years including just last week. So far, every one has had at least one lighter plug power outlet. We have encountered a few that have more than one and prefer that for extended rentals so we can power additional items like a refrigerator.

Higher end Ford Super Duties have a GPS and you can use it for $80/year.

That's pretty outrageous. I checked, and it appears that's Ford's policy on its new vehicles with built-in GPS. That would really add up over the life of the vehicle. Who else has to pay that kind of money each year to see where they are and where they're going?? Good reason to skip upgrading to built-in GPS on a Ford and just use a standalone or a smartphone. It's common for vehicle manufacturers to charge for map updates on their built-in GPS but it's not common to charge just to use it, AFAIK. That's really going to tick owners off.

EDIT: Actually it depends which model you have. Some new Ford models with built-in GPS come with 3 years of included online navigation; if you don't pay to subscribe after that, you can still use the GPS, but it's offline navigation, like you would have with a standalone. Then other Ford models offer 90 days of online navigation, and then the unit doesn't work as a GPS unless you subscribe. https://www.ford.com/technology/connected-navigation/

check out OnStar for GM vehicles.....that should make you run out and buy a Garmin.. Both our cars had on board GPS that could ONLY be used with the OnStar subscription. You don't even get to see the map unless you fork over the $$. I actually laughed at the Sales Manager when he tried to get us to purchase the yearly fee.

Should not be too hard to hardwire a multi socket choice adapter to a 12V source.

Can't really do this on a rental vehicle when on vacation.

I may end up an Alligator Clamp to Male Cigarette Lighter Extension Cable in the future for those tire inflators and whatnot!

https://www.amazon.com/KUNCAN-Automotive-Alligator-Cigarette...

I'm just astounded. For GMC, it looks like $14.99 per month... On top of the at-minimum $1K or so to get built-in navigation... is that right?!? The problem is that you probably have to pay for useless-unless-you-subscribe navigation to get bundled options you really want.

Almost makes Ford look reasonable by comparison. I had no idea US carmakers were this greedy. OK scratch that. But check out Asian vehicle makers that are not upcharging this way for built-in navigation.

Cheaper to use your smartphone and Google Maps, Waze or some other app. That's where we're headed anyways whether you like it or not. GPS standalone units are going the way of the dinosaur.

As much as I liked stringing code and being part of the software industry (back when I worked) the industry has gone nuts and taken hostages. The acromaniacs acronym this time is SAAS which is not new. It is Software As A Service. You want a program? Pay for it forever. Use a John Deere tractor? Think you own it? You merely paid for it but it isn't yours. (There has been some questionable progress on this particular right-to-repair issue). Already paid for the hardware for remote start to work on your Subaru? Well,,, it doesn't work unless you pay for a subscription too. There is currently some legal craziness in NH or MA over this that I really can't remember.

You, yeah you, you have too much money in your pockets and Korporate Amerika wants it.

Auto makers start charging to use seatbelts ??

I was thinking the same thing.

So they change from 12v to USB power.
And, why hasn't that been done already?

They designed the plug/cable combination because at the time cars did not have USB ports. So why after all this time have they not taken any action?

If they can't come up with a solution then they deserve to have that product line eventually fail.

Before AC on cars was an option, now it’s hard to find one without it. CD players are basically done as with the 12V accessory port. Soon navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard in every vehicle. Stand-alone GPS’s are basically done, it’s just a matter of time. For us on this forum, we’ll hold onto them for as long as possible.

On my 2022 Acura RDX, as you noted no CD player. But what was in the vehicle is a USB port that the audio system can access. So I picked up a small (about the size of a peanut) Sandisk solid state drive, ripped about 400 CD’s onto it, and now it resides at that port. For a 6 hour drive a few weeks back I ripped some audio books to the drive, and listened to them while driving.

On your point after the 12 volt accessory port being “basically done”, I disagree. Most of the 2022 vehicles I looked at a year ago had the port, and it was pointed out to me when I inquired about it. But unless you have a need and hence you ask, you are left to exploration or the owners manual, which in my case is over 700 pages, and all English. I actually found it best early on, to download a PDF to my iPad, which I can easily search.

Nearly all new cars come with USB-A ports now. We’ll probably see some with USB-C soon as that is where USB is headed. Everyone I know of just plays music or listens to podcasts from their smartphones. My daughter even uses her smartphone for navigation now and never uses the Garmin anymore. Not many auto accessories need a 12V port anymore and a lot of the tire inflators for example, have battery clamps instead.

Some people may get these.

https://www.amazon.com/TEHUS-USB-12V-Power-Adapter/dp/B08YWP...

For those who still inhale nicotine, what do mfg's do to ignite such cancer sticks?

Hopefully, Gamin will offer a USB adapter to power their devices that don't already have USB powering.

The adapter mentioned above will work with some units but many require more than the .8 amps it provides.

https://motorandwheels.com/new-cars-have-cigarette-lighters-...

Lol. Glad I don't smoke

Ask…and if there isn’t one refuse the car and get a different one. My experience with renting cars is you never rent the car, you rent the category…compact, family, luxury, etc. I am quite sure one of the cars in your category will have a 12v power outlet.

Most rental car counter personnel simply don't know and have no way to check.

Sure, I could check the car myself and ask for another if there is no outlet. Most of the time, that involves the hassle of going back to the counter and waiting in line again.

As I said, it doesn't happen often but I carry the adapter just in case.

My experience with rentals has been as someone stated "you rent the category"; meaning I pick up my paperwork, go to the lot and chose among the offerings in that category. If 1 12 volt accessory outlet is important, that is the time to verify its existence. Then as I leave the lot the specific vehicle is assigned to me (and also inspected).

But you do have to look carefully and rarely is the manual in the car.

all my gps are usb charged, they are 5v, I plug em in the usb port on the rental

If your device is one of the ones with the traffic incorporated into the Garmin supplied 12 volt cable, then you won't get traffic by using the UPS source.

nope the traffic receiver is in the unit, not garmin

None of my Garmin devices have the built-in traffic receiver. They all have the traffic receiver built into the GTM power adapter. So I have no way to test this out, but it is my understanding that even with the built-in receivers, you still need to use the TA-20 12V adapter because the antenna for the traffic receiver is incorporated into the TA-20 cable. So I would think substituting a standard USB cable would not provide the antenna for traffic reception. Maybe someone who has one of the Garmins with the built in receiver can confirm whether or not this is true.

Even "rent the category" is pretty iffy, at least it was when I was traveling for work 10-20 years ago. My company's standing rental agreement called for an intermediate class sedan. On one trip to southern California the only vehicle available was a Toyota Sienna minivan. On a trip months later to a different SoCal airport, the only available vehicle was a Prius. Both vehicles were perfectly adequate for my needs, but the pre-rental category request was completely useless. It's like the car rental scenes in Seinfeld or in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: you take what you can get, if anything, when you show up at the counter.

Actually, a fully charged 12 VOLT LEAD-ACID battery in a motor vehicle is 13.2 volts. NOTE: varies with temperature.

A single cell in a LEAD-ACID battery is 2.2 volts. There are 6 cells in a "12 v" battery, therefore 6 times 2.2v = 13.2v. Don't know why it is called a 12v battery other an the fact that cars used to have 6v batteries (actually, they were 3 times 2.2v = 6.6v) other than the fact that the vehicle manufactures said that a 12v battery gave you twice the starting power of a 6v battery.

Since the voltage regulator for the alternator limits the alternator's output to a maximum of 18v (keeps the battery from overheating during charging and light bulbs from burning out prematurely). I don't think you have to worry about the power converter (12v to 5v) from too much voltage. The electronics in the converter will limit the voltage and current output.

I have a 2495LMT and a Drivesmart 55 and both have a built in traffic receiver. I can confirm that it does require a TA-20 or traffic receiver cable for traffic to work. Plugging in a USB cable or a standard power cable gives me in Setting: "Compatiable traffic accessory required" and "No traffic data available. Connect to a traffic-compatiable power cable".

In one of the links in my original post, someone actually made a USB power cable with a built in traffic cable. It’s being sold on eBay (didn’t check if it’s sold anywhere else).

In 1967, Volkswagen changed from a 6 volt system to a 12 volt system. The US auto industry pretty much standardized on the 12 volt system in 1955 due to increasing demands. Engines were getting larger (6 cylinder vs. V-8’s), and accessories like air conditioning were becoming commonplace. All these factors come into play in terms of the current draw on the battery and from that one needs to think in terms of the cable size to carry the current. When we double the voltage, we halve the current, and thus we can use a smaller cable.

By the way, the propulsion motors on many EV’s use from 400 to 800 volts.