The EcoFlow 500W alternator charger is up to 5 times faster than using a car utility socket to recharge your portable power bank. And it won’t flatten your car battery.
This is a first look as our friendly tradie Pete has installed this in his ‘truck’ and will report on that soon. Our initial tests indicate that this is the device you should have if you use a portable power bank (PPB) for camping, in an RV, or even on a boat.
The cigarette lighter socket science is simple.
A car’s utility socket (cigarette lighter) outputs 12V/10A/120W. Some may have a 15A fuse and output 180W. There is no science here – a fuse stops an overload, but current flows one way: from the battery to the device plugged into the lighter. That lack of intelligence can mean a flat battery.
Some PPBs allow you to set limits on battery charging based on the voltage it supplies. If the battery drops below 12V, then the power bank stops charging. Conversely, if the battery supplies more than 12V while driving, a good PPB can charge slightly faster.
The EcoFlow 500W alternator charger is two-way intelligent
It is directly powered by the car/truck/RV’s alternator, not the battery and uses excess capacity, placing no extra strain on the car’s alternator or battery.
An alternator typically outputs up to 14.5 volts, and the vehicle’s overall electrical needs determine its amperage. Cars typically require 50-60 amps, while SUVs, tradies trucks, and RVs can require up to 200 Amps.
By connecting directly to the alternator, the EcoFlow 500W alternator charger converts this into 40 to 60V, 500W (or 24V/15A/360W). As long as your PPB supports that DC charge rate, it receives 500W, or about five times the supply of a cigarette lighter.
But there is more
It can reverse-charge the car’s battery, outputting 13.8V/36W/500W (or 24V), which could be invaluable when camping.
It can also charge a spare battery (if your PPB supports it).
Two models – $499 500W and $599 800W
The 500W review unit is ideal for a car or SUV and is most suited to 1kWh PPBs or less, where a full charge takes approximately 2 hours. It can charge larger PPBs – it just takes a little longer.
The 800W is best suited for off-road use, tradies’ Utes, and RVs. It will charge a 1kWh battery in 80 minutes.
Install – Easy
Pete the tradie says it is easy to install. His hardest job was to clean the back seat and find space for it and the battery, because his rear tray was full. He ran the cables under the door sill and through a convenient grommet in the first wall. The installation was simple, taking about 20 minutes and causing no harm to the car in any way. All cables, cable puller, nuts and screws are in the box.
Safety – Exceed
We examined the electronics and found a premium GaN (Gallium Nitride) chip that provides reverse polarity protection (preventing the red and black wires from getting mixed up), overcurrent protection, short circuit protection, and over- and under-voltage protection. It looks after the PPB and your car.
Comms – Pass+
You can monitor the charger through the EcoFlow app. It works with Wi-Fi 2.4GHz or Bluetooth.
- Check the charger’s status
- Adjust output power
- Adjust start voltage
- Battery maintenance mode
- Firmware update
It is brand agnostic
Provided your PPB has an XT60 or XT150 DC/solar panel input and accepts 40-60V charging, you can use any brand of battery.
Inbox
- B: 5m alternator cable
- C: 1m XT60 cable to PPB (you can but an XT150 type cable)
- E: Wall mount plate
Website and Manuals
CyberShack’s take: EcoFlow 500W alternator charger: Great idea and even better implementation
Tradie Pete helps review all our off-grid systems and has a great work-life balance. At work, the PPB powers his portable welder, recharges his tools, and provides on-site comms.
He is off camping at present, so there are no photos yet, but he said that with this, the EcoFlow 400W portable solar panel is perfect for power users and an the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus 1800W/1024Wh portable power bank, he gets enough power to keep a 60W portable fridge, lighting, laptop charging and even a Ninja Foodi AG551 Smart XL Grill and Air Fryer – the one appliance you really need going 24/7.
Rating
To come but safely assume it is very good.
Pro
- Uses excess alternator power – no strain on the battery or alternator
- 500W charge is 5X more than a cigarette lighter
- Reverse charge has saved him from a flat battery
- Dead easy to install
- Replaces dual battery sytems
Con
- None yet but consider the 800W if you need more
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