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Can phone chargers cause electrical drains in your car?
I remember when everyone was freaking out because of 5G service. People were saying that it would cause all sorts of issues, including messing with the electrical systems in cars. That was all proved to be false—but can my phone charger cause an electrical drain on my car?
Jason Crosby · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
As it turns out, charging your cell phone in your car isn’t really a good thing, especially if you have an older model. Though it doesn’t seem like it requires much electricity to charge, phone chargers actually can drain your battery over time. The reason why is that the USB ports in vehicles are often over-powered in comparison to the voltage that the phone would receive out of a regular wall outlet at home. This means the batteries get charged too quickly—kind of like what happens when EV owners overuse Level 3 chargers.
The best way to avoid draining your car’s battery, and ruining the battery life of your phone is to charge your device before you leave the house. That way, you don’t need to risk causing damage to your vehicle or phone. This doesn’t mean that you should never charge in the car, but do so sparingly. If your infotainment system or head unit has a Bluetooth option, connect your cell phone that way. But if you’re a music fan, don’t be tempted to put in
headphones
as you drive; this is actually dangerous and prevents you from hearing serious mechanical issues or roadway incidents. Charging your phone in the car can drain your car’s battery—just like paying too much for your car insurance can be simply soul-sucking. Instead, download
Jerry
and start raking in the savings on your auto policy. With refreshed quotes every 6 months, there’s no need to overpay for insuring whatever drives you. Download Jerry today. View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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