Do any cars offer remote heating for frosty mornings?
Given that the cold winter days are settling in, my attention turns to the frustrations of going outside to scrape the frost off the windscreen and then sit in a cold car until the engine warms up. Is there such thing as remotely warming the interior and defrosting your windscreen without going out on a cold morning? If so, which car brands in the UK offer this option?
Asked on 1 November 2018 by Abs M
Answered by
Andrew Brady
There are a number of manufacturers which allow you to control a car's heating remotely or set a timer to save you defrosting on those cold mornings. This technology is particularly prevalent on electric cars, as it makes sense for them to be warmed up while plugged in at home rather than wasting energy on the move. It's worth reading up on the limitations of these systems, however - not all will defrost the car, some will simply warm up the interior. Volvo's On Call service is one the few which actually states that it's good for defrosting cars. It's available on most post-2016 Volvo models with automatic gearboxes, allowing remote start and, more importantly, remote defrosting. Jaguar and Land Rover offer remote heating as an option. Alternatively, look at a Ford. Certain models (including the new Focus) allow you to turn the heater on remotely using the FordPass app. Ford's Quickclear heated windscreen can also defrost a frozen screen in seconds.
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