Up next: Heated seatbelts

Tier 1 automotive components supplier ZF has developed a heated seatbelt for electric vehicles designed to reduce the energy used to heat the vehicle and improve safety by dissuading occupants from wearing bulky warm clothing that can hamper the effectiveness of restraint systems.

Especially effective in combination with seat heaters, the warm embrace of ZF’s seatbelts is claimed to increase EV battery range by up to 15 per cent.

Based on a special webbing with interwoven heating conductors, the special seatbelts are “minimally” thicker than regular items, providing the same level of comfort for occupants and making integration easier for vehicle manufacturers.