How much current does a typical 12V cell phone car charger draw while charging?

Answer by Steve S
Vague question but i’ll try to help. here is an example:

Kyocera wall-wart cell phone charger, 5.2VDC, 400mA: 1.4 watts while not charging, 5.8 watts while charging.

There are three types… AC output, unregulated DC output and regulated DC outputs.

They use more power when they are charging something (or just operating it) than they do when the charge cycle is complete

How much? Depends on the transformer type and its internal circuits. Some are just transformers… usually step downs. (These are AC output units.) They present a load that is mostly just the resistive portion of the primary side.

The other types, the ones that are DC outputs, contain rectifiers and sometimes regulator circuits. This type would dissipate more power than the AC output types because there are parts on both sides of the transformer… the primary and secondary sides.

You might hear the term ‘phantom power’ used to describe this minor drain.

Taken in small quantities, they mean very little. Your whole house’s worth might only cost a buck or two a year. Taken as a nation of 100,000,000 houses, they collectively suck a LOT of power that does nothing useful.

Environmentally, it makes sense to turn them off and the world would benefit if we did. Micro-economically, it makes no sense to turn them off.

Answer by Anthony F
all chargers are different look on the charger itself and if you cant find anything look on your home charger.If that doesn’t work look at the cell phone it’s self. the charger will draw 12v but only put out a certain amount. mine puts out 5v for a black berry curve

Answer by TechnoStuff
Are you asking how much a cell phone charger (for your car) draws from a 12v battery? If so, it will vary some by model (battery capacity vs how quickly it charges).

I believe that the older motorola phone charger would draw about 350mA (0.35 amps) while charging the phone (I had modified some of these to operate a radio transmitter). Obviously yours could be different and could only be determined by actually measuring it with a meter.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Main Contents


Image by Joe Wilcox
The contents surprised me. Buried beneath was a car charger!

I’ve heard that the inconsistent charging from a car is bad for a cell phone battery in the long run. If this is true is it just cheap brands. I got one at big lots, a 2-in-1 car/wall charger.

Answer by mia t
car chargers are best for quick charges 20 min. max, big lots
i’m not sure of the Quality
for best results 20 max and i would use it only for a back up and i wouldn’t make a habit of it.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Samsung A767 PROPEL Cell Phone Car Charger

• Extended 8 foot long cord. Cable diameter: 4.0mm

Generic High Quality Car Charger. Smart IC Chip Technology to avoid overcharging.Extended 8 foot long cord. Cable diameter: 4.0mm.Completely charges most phones in about 1 hour.You can talk while charging your cellular phone. Nice and stylish retail blister packaging.

Price: $ 2.99

www.chinabuye.com Quick Overview This is a combination of car charger and power adapter. It is available to charge electronic products such as MP3/iPod/PDA/cell phone/USB light/USB fan. Also, it is portable, lightweight with collapsible plug. Moreover, it is attached with connectors which is suitable for many famous brands as Nokia, Sony, Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola, etc.