Car inverter

[Kluckers86]

Hey, been looking for an inverter to charge my battery (Reign e+) while I’m driving or just want to put some more charge in and was wondering if anyone has tried something similar?

 

[Hardtail]

Hi Klucker,

It is possible but the numbers don't always add up.

Firstly, I recommend a Sine wave inverter over a cheaper square wave.
Secondly, get an inverter size appropriate to your use to reduce the energy/heat loss during service. In this case, if you are using a standard 4a charger a 1000w inverter is perfect, if you use a 6a fast charger then you will want a 1500w inverter.

If you only charge while driving then car battery capacity isn't an issue, but energy isn't free and you are using more fuel. albeit minimal. If you want to charge while parked then you will have to accept a partial charge and, not or, risk a flat car battery.

A standard car battery is about 60ah which is equal to 720wh, but a car battery can only discharge to 50% so you will only get 360wh, the inverter is about 90% efficient so that gives you just 320wh into the bike battery but now your car won't start... This is why leisure batteries have a different composition to deal with constant discharge.

Buying a small Jackery or Bluetti LifePo4 generator suited to your needs probably is your best bet, then either charge it from mains or solar. LifePo4 can be discharged by 100% but these generators are limited to about 80% as it greatly increases life span so get something around 1000WH and you will be able to fully charge a 750WH battery as well as your phone etc.

Charging directly from car 12v is not worth it, even for a LifePo4 generator, a Jackery 1000, 1004wh, would take 14hrs driving to charge to 100%... This is in part why you don't see any 12v Ebike chargers, also the 12v to 36v conversion is still only about 95% efficient.

I hope that sums it up!

 

[Kluckers86]

Hi Klucker,

It is possible but the numbers don't always add up.

Firstly, I recommend a Sine wave inverter over a cheaper square wave.
Secondly, get an inverter size appropriate to your use to reduce the energy/heat loss during service. In this case, if you are using a standard 4a charger a 1000w inverter is perfect, if you use a 6a fast charger then you will want a 1500w inverter.

If you only charge while driving then car battery capacity isn't an issue, but energy isn't free and you are using more fuel. albeit minimal. If you want to charge while parked then you will have to accept a partial charge and, not or, risk a flat car battery.

A standard car battery is about 60ah which is equal to 720wh, but a car battery can only discharge to 50% so you will only get 360wh, the inverter is about 90% efficient so that gives you just 320wh into the bike battery but now your car won't start... This is why leisure batteries have a different composition to deal with constant discharge.

Buying a small Jackery or Bluetti LifePo4 generator suited to your needs probably is your best bet, then either charge it from mains or solar. LifePo4 can be discharged by 100% but these generators are limited to about 80% as it greatly increases life span so get something around 1000WH and you will be able to fully charge a 750WH battery as well as your phone etc.

Charging directly from car 12v is not worth it, even for a LifePo4 generator, a Jackery 1000, 1004wh, would take 14hrs driving to charge to 100%... This is in part why you don't see any 12v Ebike chargers, also the 12v to 36v conversion is still only about 95% efficient.

I hope that sums it up!

Cheers. Probably the most concise answer for what I thought was pretty straight forward. Thanks for the info

 

[Zimmerframe]

Also have. Look in the travel and transport forum, there's loads of threads on the subject.