Can A Car Charger Power A DeWalt Battery Pack?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Keeping your DeWalt batteries charged is important, as you should never fully discharge them before recharging. But what happens if you're on the go with a dead battery and charger, but don't have access to a wall outlet? If your car has a standard 120V outlet, then you're good to go. Just plug in, and when the battery's ready, you can get back to work. But if you only have a 12V power port, it gets a bit tricky.

Without a 120V outlet, your DeWalt charger would need a power inverter in order to even plug into your car's power port. Such inverters do exist, and can be purchased at Walmart, Best Buy, and other online retailers as well. The problem is that your car's 12-volt port is limited by the number of amps it has. So if your port maxes out at 15 amps, it can handle a power inverter, but it is likely going to take more time to charge, versus plugging the charger into a wall outlet.

For example, an inverter with 150 watts of continuous power works much more slowly than a household outlet, which can max out at 2400 watts of power. Also, DeWalt specifically states that its chargers should be plugged into a 120V household outlet, even though some electrical outlets are hard to plug into, and warns against using any other voltage. This means your car's charging port isn't a safe or effective replacement for the traditional wall outlet.

DeWalt once offered a portable battery charger that could plug into your car's 12V power port. The DeWalt Lithium-ion battery charger model DCB119 could power both 12V and 20V Max batteries, and took an hour to charge a battery. Though it wasn't the 120V household outlet solution that DeWalt specifically recommends, it was an actual company-branded device. However, the device is listed as "no longer available" by Lowe's, Northern Tool, and other online retailers.

But you can still find the charger for sale on various tool supply websites. While these sites are likely selling off their remaining inventory, you should be careful and only purchase a charger if you're certain of its authenticity. Check customer reviews of the charger on the site, and research the company as well before you make a decision. Otherwise, you could end up with a counterfeit charger. If it's not actually a DeWalt device, you should stay away and always think twice before using third-party DeWalt battery chargers.

In fact, you should only use certified DeWalt batteries on your DeWalt chargers, as the battery's internal circuitry may not be compatible with the charger itself. Plus, if you attempt to use other batteries in your DeWalt tools, there's no guarantee that your tools will function properly. It's best to always stick to the brand.