The
cigarette lighter receptacle (also called a
cigar lighter receptacle) in an
automobile was initially designed to power an electrically heated
cigarette lighter, but became a
de facto standard DC connector to supply electrical power for portable accessories used in or near an automobile. While the cigarette lighter receptacle is a common feature of automobiles and trucks, as a DC power connector it has the disadvantages of bulkiness, relatively low current rating, and poor contact reliability.