In the 1908, the battery ignition system was applied in the automobile in America, it led the new era for vehicle electrification. In the 1912, Cadillac adopted the DC generator and starter in their car, and then such as lighting system, electronic horn, audio, A/C etc. Appliance began to appear in the automobile, so that automotive circuit wiring system became increasingly complex.

The automotive appliance have to be connected by wires. Since the ignition system had been applied, the engine was surrounded by all kinds of wires. These wires look like the harness of the carriage, so people also popularly called them “Wire Harness”. This word is only for the automobile, we often call “Wiring system” or “Circuit group” in other field like power, electric, electricity.

The definitive standard of electrical engineering IEC 60050 <> has no the word “Wire Harness”, but it includes the word “wiring system” as follows:

（the link is http://www.electropedia.org/iev/iev.nsf/display?openform&ievref=826-15-01)

Assembly made up of one or more insulated conductors, cables or busbars and the parts which secure their fixing and, if necessary, their mechanical protection.

From this, we can obtain that “Wire Harness” meet the definition actually. In the early standard about automotive high voltage wire harness ICE60783:1984, there is a information “Wiring and connectors for electric road vehicles”,  it don’t mention “Harness”. We can hardly find “Harness” in any other automotive standard, that’s why people don’t use this word in formal occasions. it’s just for vulgarly name.

For example，in the standard SAE, there is no title for“Harness”, only mention once in the SAEJ1673 - High voltage automotive wiring assembly design, it write: This SAE Recommended Practice covers the design and application of PrimaryOne-board wiring distribution system harnesses to road vehicles.

In sum, wire harness is the essential parts in the automotive circuit system, no wire harness, no automotive circuit!