So what I am wondering is whether there are any quality converters out there that plug into the cigarette lighter socket in a vehicle and supply ample USB-C charging power, thus bypassing the need for both a power inverter and the Apple wall wart.

I would guess that efficiency is at best 80% (meaning a 20% power loss), thus pulling more amperage than needed, which my SUV does not like for more than 10 minutes with a low laptop battery that causes the Apple wall wart to pull full power, probably something around 8 or 9 amps at 12 volts from the car battery.Ī DC-DC converter could presumably run with about half the power waste. It is inefficient to plug a DC-to-AC power inverter like the Wagan EL2601 Elite 400W Pro Pure Sine Inverter into a car cigarette lighter (maximum of 90% efficiency), then plug an Apple wall wart MNF82LL into the inverter (efficiency unspecified) so it can then convert that AC power back into DC for the MacBook Pro! One need only touch the inverter (high quality one for me) and feel how hot it gets, ditto for the wall wart-that heat is wasted power.ġ2V DC => 120V AC => ?V DC for charging the computer UPDATE: please see the 2018 review: Mikegyver High-Speed USB-C Charger for 2018/2017/2016 MacBook Pro via Vehicle DC Power.Īpple MacBook Pro computers now have USB-C, which has DC power input up to 100 watts.

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