When we are outside of home most time we need to use our laptop computer. When there is no power source outside we can’t charge the batteries. This article is going to show you how to charge your laptop in your car.
If you don’t have a laptop charger you should check out this guide How To Fully Charge a Laptop Battery Manually or Externally
How to Charge a Laptop in a Car Without an Adapter
There are a few different ways to charge your laptop in your car without an adapter. One way is to use the cigarette lighter port. Make sure you have the correct cigarette lighter adapter for your car and connect the adapter to the laptop’s USB port.
Another way is to use an AC outlet. Find an outlet near where you will be sitting, and plug in the power cord.
Is it Safe to Charge a Laptop in Your Car?
The short answer is, yes, but there are some caveats. In general, it’s not ideal to use your car’s 12V DC output to power a laptop. Instead, you should use a power inverter that converts the 12V DC to 110V AC.
Laptops are designed to run on 110V AC, so using the 12V DC directly can cause problems:
It can drain your car battery quickly and Some laptops don’t have proper voltage regulation, which can damage or destroy the laptop.
[the_ad id=”2255″]
Does a Cigarette Lighter Work When the Car is Off?
Yes. The cigarette lighter works even when the car is off. This is because it’s connected to the battery and to a fuse.
When you plug in the cigarette lighter, it gets connected to the 12-volt battery of the car. This is usually located on the right side of your car’s engine.
Related: Can We Use External RAM for Laptop? Here’s How
In some cars, the cigarette lighter or the 12V socket can be used with the ignition off. You will find this in a lot of new cars like Toyota Innova and Fortuner, where you can use it to charge your phone even when the car is off.
But in many cars, there’s a fuse that supplies power to the 12V socket only when the ignition is on. So if your car has a fuse for that socket, that means it won’t work when the car is off.
In some cars, there’s no dedicated fuse for that socket, so it gets a feed from a general circuit that also powers other things like interior lights or door locks. If the car has a security system installed, you may be able to program it to power this circuit even when the ignition is switched off.
Another option is to connect an inverter directly to your battery (or alternator). That way, you can use your charger anytime without having to worry about fuses or switches. But make sure you don’t leave it plugged in for too long since there isn’t any way of knowing how much juice is left in your battery.
How Long Can You Charge a Laptop on a Car Battery?
The amount of time a laptop can be charged depends on how long the car’s battery has power. A fully charged battery should allow you to charge your laptop for two hours.
It depends on the capacity of your car battery and the power consumption of your laptop. You should be able to run it for at least a couple of hours before draining a 12V car battery completely flat.
If you want to know whether a particular laptop will run from your battery, you need to know two things:
- The power consumption of the laptop (measured in watts)
- The capacity of the battery (measured in watt-hours)
The capacity of a typical car battery is around 45 Amp-hours, which is roughly equal to 540 Watt-hours (540 Wh) or 0.54 kWh. Filling this up from empty would cost around 20 pence at UK electricity rates.
Will Charging My Laptop Drain the Car Battery?
The short answer is yes, it will. Any electrical appliance that you plug into the power socket of your car will drain the battery.
The long answer is a little more complicated. Let’s say that your laptop can draw a maximum of 15 watts from its charger (this varies from laptop to laptop).
[the_ad id=”2261″]
This means that, for every hour that you run your laptop in the car with the engine turned off, the battery will discharge by 0.15 Ah (Ampere-hour).
For example, if you have a battery with a capacity of 100 Ah, then you can use your laptop in the car for 667 hours before the battery discharges completely (100/0.15 = 667).
To put this into perspective:
A typical car battery has a capacity of 60 – 85 Ah.
A typical 65-watt AC charger draws 5 – 8 Amps from the power socket at DC 12 V (60 – 96 Watts at DC 12 V). So charging your laptop with an AC charger will drain your car battery faster than using the charger that came with your laptop.
How To Charge Laptop In Car (6 Easy Ways)
To charge a laptop in your car, you will need to purchase a car charger that is compatible with your laptop. Then, simply plug the charger into the cigarette lighter port in your car and connect it to your laptop’s charging port.
Most laptops are designed to run on a standard household current of 120 volts AC. The electricity supplied by a car’s 12-volt DC outlet is not sufficient to charge a laptop.
Car chargers are available for most major brands of laptops as well as many generic models. When choosing one, make sure that the output voltage and wattage are compatible with your laptop.
A good rule of thumb is to choose one with at least twice the wattage of your laptop’s power supply, which will allow you to use high-power peripherals like monitors or printers without running out of juice.
Method 1: Use Power Bank
A power bank is a portable charger for your devices. They are lightweight, compact, and very convenient to carry around. They also come in various shapes and colors with different capacities to charge your laptop or other devices.
You can use it to charge your laptop from the car. However, the power bank needs to have a high capacity of at least 20000 mAh to be able to charge a laptop even for one time. There are many types of power banks in the market that comes with different capacity, so you need to choose the one that is suitable for you.
Method 2: Use Power Inverter
A car battery produces direct current (DC), a laptop battery uses alternating current (AC). Car batteries use 12 volts DC and most laptops require 15 to 20 volts AC. A car power inverter is an electrical device that is used to create the necessary AC power so that laptops can be charged while in the car.
A power inverter takes the 12V DC power from your car and converts it to 120V AC, just like the power that comes out of your wall outlet at home.
You can plug anything into it, as long as you don’t exceed the wattage rating of the inverter. This is by far the most convenient way to charge your laptop on the go. It has some downsides though:
You need to run your engine while using a power inverter (unless you have an auxiliary battery)
[the_ad id=”2347″]
Power inverters are more expensive than USB chargers or cigarette lighter adapters.
[su_box title=”Note:” box_color=”#8A2BE2″]It’s not safe to use a power inverter with a laptop plugged in while driving. You need to be parked to use one safely.[/su_box]
Method 3: Use a Laptop Charger
You can use your own laptop charger to charge your laptop in the car. All you need to do is buy a car adapter to plug the charger into, then plug it into your cigar lighter/lighter socket of your car. You may want to purchase an inverter if your car doesn’t have a cigarette lighter.
You can find various laptop chargers for different models of laptops on Amazon.com.
If you have a 12-volt socket, you can plug the charger directly into it without having to buy an adapter first.
Very similar to plugging your laptop into an electrical outlet, you simply find a place to place the charger in your car, plug it in and then attach the cord from the charger to your laptop.
Some chargers only require one cigarette lighter socket to power them, while others may require two sockets.
You can also purchase an adapter for car chargers that converts two sockets into one so you don’t have to use both sockets at once.
When you are looking for a way to charge your laptop in the car, there are a couple of options that you can choose from.
The most common and reliable way to charge your laptop in the car is to use your own laptop charger! You can buy an adapter that allows you to plug your charger into the lighter socket of your car.
Method 4: Use a USB Charger
When you need to charge your laptop in the car, you have a few options. You can use a USB charger, an AC adaptor, or a DC converter. Each of these items has its advantages and disadvantages, so you should evaluate your options carefully before making a purchasing decision.
Most new cars have USB ports that can accommodate USB charging cables. If your car has a USB port and your laptop has a USB charging cable, you can use the USB charging option with the caveat that it might take longer to charge your laptop than it would with other chargers.
Method 5: Use A Universal USB Charger
If you do need to charge a laptop, tablet, or other devices in your car, the simplest and best solution is to use a universal USB charger. They’re lightweight, cheap (usually less than $20), and can be plugged into any 12V socket.
The advantage of these chargers is that they’re designed to deliver high-power USB charging (up to 2.1 amps), while also being safe to plug directly into your car’s 12V socket, or “cigarette lighter” as it used to be called.
[the_ad id=”2267″]
There are literally hundreds of different choices available online and in stores, but there are some common features you should look for when making a selection:
- Multiple ports, so you can charge more than one device at once
- Quick Charge 3.0 support compatible devices such as Android phones
- A fold-up plug so the charger takes up less space in your vehicle
Method 6: Use A Car Laptop Charger
You can charge your laptop computer when you’re on the road by using your car’s 12-volt accessory outlet. The connector that plugs into this outlet, known as a car charger, is very inexpensive and will allow you to keep your laptop charged while you’re driving in your car.
Car chargers are available from most major computer manufacturers or from local electronics stores or on Amazon. They plug into your car’s cigarette lighter socket and allow you to power up your laptop when you’re on the go.
Plug the cable from the car charger into your laptop’s power port, then turn on the car and start it up. Most cars have an extra battery to help keep electronics going while they’re off and charging, so even if your car is off, you should still have enough power to charge your laptop.
FAQs
Can we charge a laptop in the car?
Yes, you can charge a laptop in the car using a power inverter, a USB charger, or a car laptop charger. However, be aware that it’s not safe to use a power inverter while driving, and make sure to park your car before charging your laptop.
Can I charge my laptop with a USB in my car?
Yes, you can charge your laptop with a USB in the car. Many car chargers are available and most come with at least one USB port, so you can plug in your laptop while on the go. Some models feature two or more ports, allowing you to charge multiple gadgets simultaneously.
[the_ad id=”2349″]
Some Last Words
So there you go, how to charge a laptop battery in a car. We’ve gone through and explained some of the most common types of laptop chargers and pointed out what things to look for when buying your own laptop adapter.
So get on out there, check out some different adapter options, and select the best one for your laptop!