I live in a snow belt state and have wondered for quite sometime why vehicles do not have heated tail light lenses. One would think insurance companies would be lobbying for them big time.

I own two GM SUV'* and in certain conditions to whole back end including the tail lights can get covered with snow.

Vehicles can be equipped with heated seats, mirrors, steering wheels, and rear windows and that'* fine but all that does nothing to prevent rear end collisions because the tail lights are covered with snow.

It does not appear to be a big technological issue to provide what I would consider a great safety equipment addition. IMHO

use to be the tail lights made enough heat to keep them melted. but with leds and such, its a good question. i would guess they try to save power everywhere possible because every load translates to lost fuel economy.

Thanks for the comment. I agree it probably does happen to have something to do with saving power but I personally would really have my *** covered,( from a rear end collision), than warmed up in a heated seat. I'm just sayin.

Just give em a quick brush off when you brush off the windows. I wouldn't want heated tail lights for the fact it could cause premature separation of the housing and lens. On the Bonneville I see that enough already just from the sun.

I don't know where you live but I live in West Michigan and we get lots of snow and ice. I know all about clearing the snow off the vehicle when I am stopped but that doesn't help much when driving on a slippery snow and ice covered road with no place to pull over.

I'm no engineer but I am pretty sure they could produce a heated tail light lens the didn't cause the housing and lens to separate. The heating element could be thermostatically controlled to only turn on when needed.

they could put an optical sensor on it so it only turns on when cold and the view is blocked.

Originally from Northwest Ohio. Never had an issue with the taillights getting covered after I was already moving. Only had to ever clear em in the morning when I first go out to the car

Here comes the realist to crash the party, sorry guys.

You want automakers to put in a 'feature' that would benefit a portion of the population (I dare say less than half of the US) a few months of the year, and even then under specific circumstances. The bean counters would never go for it.

I think the answer may be an aftermarket solution. I would be curious what you could do with 12v heat cord/tape.

They do make those window heating grids that you install on back windows of cars that didn't come with it. I'm sure with some ingenuity, electronics background, one could put something like that on lenses.

You wouldn't be able to use one of those (if you cut it to fit you would break the circuit) but you could use thin copper wire and make your own by attaching it to the rear of the lens with a strong clear tape then hooking it up to a defrost controller. Just run the copper wire back and forth from top to bottom or vice versa.