Guide
Can a power station charge an electric car?
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Only a little. A power station can run a 3-pin "granny" charger, but even a large station adds only a few miles. It is an emergency top-up, not a way to charge a car.
The sums
A granny charger draws about 2.3 kW (10 A at 230 V), and some are set lower. A station must output at least that continuously. A 2 kWh station delivers about 1.7 kWh after losses. At 3 to 4 miles per kWh, a typical figure for small and mid-size electric cars (our assumption), that is about 5 to 7 miles.
| Station capacity | Roughly adds |
|---|---|
| 1 kWh | 2 to 3 miles, if it can output 2.3 kW |
| 2 kWh | 5 to 7 miles |
| 4 kWh | 10 to 14 miles |
Check your car's manual first: some granny chargers and cars reject power that isn't from the mains. For charging at home, a wallbox fitted by an electrician is the usual answer.
Power stations that output 3,000 W or more are listed in the kettle list.
Power stations worth a look
3,072 · 3,600 W · 37 h power-cut cover
From £1,499
4,096 Wh · 4,000 W · 49 h power-cut cover
From £2,799
Questions buyers ask before buying
It's a lot of money for something I'll hardly use.
Price it against what it protects: a freezer full of food, a working router when you work from home, a CPAP machine through the night. A 1 kWh station that covers fridge, router, lights and phones for about half a day starts at £419. It also earns its keep outside power cuts: camping, the garden or a van. Who gets value.
Power cuts hardly ever happen where I live.
Most are short. The ones that matter come with winter storms and can last a night or more, and they are hard to plan for. A station sits in a cupboard charged and ready, needs a top-up every few months, and doubles as a camping or garden battery the rest of the year.
Will it actually run my things?
That is the right question, and the box rarely answers it. Pick your appliances in What will it run? and you will only see stations with enough output and battery for them, with the hours each one lasts.
Aren't lithium batteries a fire risk?
Almost every current model uses (lithium iron phosphate) cells, which are far more stable than the lithium-ion in older gadgets. Buy from the maker's UK store or a big UK retailer, keep the vents clear and charge it indoors. Fire risk explained.
Won't the battery be dead in a few years?
LFP stations are rated for 3,000 to 10,000 charge cycles. Used once a week, even 3,000 cycles is over 50 years, and five-year warranties are now common. How long they last.
I'm not technical. Is it complicated?
No wiring and no fuel. You charge it from a wall socket, then plug things into it like a normal socket. Many switch on by themselves when the mains drops. If weight worries you, filter by it: some 1 kWh models are about 11 kg and smaller ones under 6 kg.
Ready to choose?