From rain sensors to wireless charging: The 10 tech features car buyers want

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images)

A wireless charging pad is now the most-desired in-car feature among people intending to buy a new vehicle. Being able to forget about a USB cable and still not run down one’s battery topped the list of 163 features that AutoPacific asked about in its annual survey on future demand. Almost 15,000 people intending to buy a new car within the next three years replied to the survey, with 44 percent ticking the box for wireless charging for the front passengers.

This market research data is rather illuminating; as we test new cars, they’re increasingly equipped with features or gadgets that don’t seem exactly necessary—an extra infotainment screen for the front seat passenger, for example, or remote parking via a smartphone app. Sometimes, the features are even mandatory—several luxury brands won’t let you order certain cars without a glass moonroof.

These decisions are justified by product planners as responding to customer demand, so it’s helpful to see one of the sources that feeds into that.