If you’re looking for a few easy, inexpensive ideas to spice up your EV, this episode is for you.
Now that I’ve put more than 66,000 miles on my 2022 Mustang Mach‑E, I felt the time was right to add a bit of extra bling.
Editor’s Note: Links to all the products mentioned are at the bottom of this post
Interior LED lighting has become a big theme in new cars, making some of them absolutely stunning at night. So it’s no surprise the aftermarket has quickly caught up with cheap, do‑it‑yourself products.
I’ve added six pieces of LED lighting to my interior for less than a hundred dollars.
Let’s start with my favorite addition: an acrylic LED strip light.
It was easy to install—taking roughly an hour—with most of that time spent doing test placements.
It easily snaps into crevices and comes with tape in case the openings in your car are wide enough that a little extra securing is needed.
What I like about this particular kit is that no complicated wiring into a fuse box or battery is required. You can hide the wires under your dash and side panels and then plug it into your car’s USB port.
Once you’ve got it installed, it will turn on and off automatically since it’s being powered by an accessory port.
What really makes it fun is the nearly unlimited number of color combinations and patterns, so you can match or contrast it with your car’s other lighting. It also includes an app and a remote control, along with about five different brightness levels so it’s not too dim during the day or too bright at night.
One thing I don’t like is the app. It requires GPS to work, which is unnecessary and makes me wonder if some sort of tracking is enabled. It also doesn’t work with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, which pretty much defeats the purpose. So I just use the remote control if I want to change the color.
Next on the list: custom LED cup‑holder lights. You can submit whatever logo and lettering you want—the light pucks are custom‑made.
They’re powered by rechargeable batteries with USB connectors. Whenever your car is in motion at night, they illuminate, and then shut off after about 30 seconds when the car is still or during daylight hours thanks to their light and motion sensors.
They feature seven different colors, and the manufacturer claims a single charge should last a month or more with normal use.
Next up are custom door‑sill plates. Like the cup holders, they can be customized with words and logos when ordering.
They also include a light sensor so they turn off when the door is closed but illuminate when it’s open.
They come with adhesive so you can snap them into place and easily remove them for charging. In my case, I opted to put magnetic tape on the back instead. That tape, by the way, was not included. Like the acrylic LED strip, the door sills have a seemingly limitless number of available colors and patterns.
And like the cup‑holder lights, they can be customized when ordering.
One thing I don’t like about the door‑sill lights is that the LEDs aren’t evenly lit. At night they look great, but during daylight hours they only look half‑lit.
Of the three, my favorite is the acrylic LED light strips, which—if you were so inclined—could also be added to things like door panels and armrests.
LED Car Interior Lightning Accessories Product List
- Acrylic Interior Car LED Strip Light: https://amzn.to/4o4Cotz
- 2 Pcs Led Door Sills: https://amzn.to/4ua455G
- Custom Logo LED Cup Holder Lights: https://amzn.to/4vmj39L
- Thin Magnetic Tape Roll: https://amzn.to/4fTWSDk