Can a Solar Generator Power My Car Battery?

As inflation and energy prices rise, solar power becomes an increasingly attractive option for those looking for free energy.

One way people are taking advantage of solar is with solar generators.

Archimedes famously said “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”

Solar is like that, you can run anything if you have a big enough system. But it can be hard to estimate how big that system needs to be when it comes to solar, and that’s where we come in. Here’s what you need to know about running your car battery with a solar generator.

Yes, as an example the Optima 0.55 car battery draws 0.55 watts of power per hour of use. This means a larger solar generator like the Jackery 2000 can power it for 3 hours and 55 minutes on a full charge. Use our calculator on this page to estimate more or different devices.

Other devices will have different energy consumption characteristics, but this gives you a good idea.

To answer that question concisely we had to make a lot of assumptions. We chose the Optima car battery because it’s a commonly used battery in passenger cars in the USA. This also assumes that the generator is not running anything else simultaneously.

Use the calculator on this page to estimate which Jackery model is suitable for the devices you enter.

Assuming we stick with the Optima car battery as an example, below are the answers for several different models of Jackery solar generators. They are listed from larger to smaller capacity so you can see how they vary.

Select Devices air conditioner air fryer amplifier boat battery breaker battery charger computer/cpu cooler car battery coffee maker cpap machine diesel generator dryer electric fan electric generator extension cord water filter fuel pump freezer oil fryer generator house/household heat pump heater/room heater/small heater/space heater hair dryer iphone ipad induction cooktop inverter generator inverter battery juicer keyboard kettle keurig laptop lightbulb mac microwave mini fridge mixer normal room off grid cabin outlet output device oil cooler oven electrical panel pc power station projector full size refrigerator router speaker sump pump tablet sump pump tesla thermostat transmitter tractor turntable tv ups battery vacuum cleaner vacuum pump vape water pump water heater xbox xlr microphone yacht rivian Dish washer Dehumidifier Pressure Cooker Water Dispenser Play Station 5 Sandwich Maker Treadmill

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Jackery 2000

Jackery 1500

Jackery 1000

Jackery 880  

  Jackery 550

Jackery 500  

  Jackery 300

Jackery 290  

  Jackery 240

Jackery 160  

Jackery Models Powering Your Car Battery (Examples)

The Jackery 1500 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 2 hours and 47 minutes on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

The Jackery 1000 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 1 hour and 49 minutes on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

The Jackery 880 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 1 hour and 36 minutes on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

The Jackery 550 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 1 hour on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

The Jackery 500 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 56 minutes on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

The Jackery 300 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 31 minutes on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

The Jackery 290 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 31 minutes on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

The Jackery 240 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 26 minutes on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

The Jackery 160 can power the Optima OPT8014-045 car battery for 18 minutes on a full charge. Use the calculator on this page to estimate other devices. This assumes no other devices are drawing power from the generator.

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