This week Chrysler unveiled a new technology that will soon become an industry standard on all automotive consoles: the wireless charging station. Optional for the 2013 Dodge Dart, the charging station is more or less a pad that powers up electronic devices like smart phones and MP3 players.
To be precise, Chrysler did not pioneer this technology. Auto Blog explains:
The Pentastar says that this $199.99 Mopar accessory is an “industry first,” but we’ll take the liberty of assigning an asterisk* to that claim, as wireless charging has been offered as a third-party solution for some time now (even at new car dealers). This is just the first such offering from an official branch of an OEM.
Either way, wireless charging is a very cool piece of technology, and Chrysler does deserve credit for being the first automaker to officially offer it throughout its dealers nationwide – asterisk or otherwise. [more]
The Wall Street Journal adds: “Even if you don’t plan to buy a Dart or any other Chrysler product, the introduction of the new charging system means it will soon be available across the industry.”
While it’s not a revolutionary change to how vehicle interiors are designed, it is something that auto upholstery shops may want to offer customers who ask for custom consoles. Why not be the first in your area to incorporate this new technology into your designs?
