Good Ideas: Stellantis Patents Clever Wheel-Well Heater

Drivers in states where it snows know only too well the nuisance when snow is building up in wheel wells. The snow freezes and drivers end up kicking it loose or taking some kind of hand-tool to clear it. This happens week after week, and sometimes multiple times a week in Great Lakes and New England states, as well as Plains states.

Stellantis, however, has secured a patent for a vehicle wheel-well heater aimed at solving this annoyance.

The device consists of a housing containing a heating element receiving electrical power through a weatherproof connector. The heater is embedded within the main body of the wheel-well component, keeping it secure and protected from debris and weather damage. The system provides direct heat to the wheel well, preventing ice formation. The heating element is designed with conductive material that emits heat when powered.

The heater has a temperature sensor that activates the heating element when temperatures drop below freezing. When the heater is activated, the wheel well remains free of snow, ice and freezing slush.

The wheel-well heater is expected to be especially beneficial in vehicles aimed at off-roading, winter sports or adventure travel, where extreme weather conditions are common. But it could be an option for any vehicle sold in states where snow and freezing temperatures are an issue, and be included in winter packages that include engine-block heaters, seat and steering-wheel heaters, and heated washer fluid.

The wheel-well heater also keeps ice buildup from impacting brakes, suspension and sensors.