Hyundai introduced USB in place of 12V cigarette lighter socket ~ 24wheel

Hyundai took a decision to introduce the USB in place of the most used and the legacy part of the car. Smoking might not be fashionable anymore but that hasn't stopped car makers from equipping their cars with the ubiquitous 12 volt cigarette lighter socket. However, more and more car makers around the world have stopped equipping the cigarette lighter socket with the heating element.

While one purpose of the cigarette lighter socket is to heat up the element, that can in turn be used to light up a smoke, this versatile feature has spawned a wide range of car accessories. From GPS modules to car kettles, car accessories that use this socket as an auxiliary power outlet have only been growing.
The 12 volt cigarette lighter socket also doubles up as a readily available source of power for charging cell phones, laptops, etc, while on the move. All of this could change if Hyundai's latest move resonates widely. In a landmark move of sorts, South Korean car maker Hyundai has dumped the venerable 12 volt cigarette lighter socket from all its cars sold in its home market of South Korea. The cigarette lighter socket is now replaced by a USB port.

While this move is currently specific to the South Korean car market, the coming times could see Hyundai carrying out a similar exercise on its global car line up. With Hyundai taking the lead in replacing the 12 volt cigarette lighter socket with a USB port, other automakers are likely to follow suit in the coming years as more and more devices are now compatible with the USB port.

Notably, Hyundai's move, if adopted by other car makers, could result in the multi-million dollar after market accessories industry also making the shift towards car accessories that eschew the cigarette lighter socket for USB power. Don't be surprised to see the 12 volt cigarette lighter socket gradually fade into obsolescence. Here is Hyundai's official statement to the FinancialTimes,