Powering LEDs from Vehicle Cigarette Lighters
LED Lights and Cigarette Lighters - Do They Go Together? LED lights have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their brightness, energy efficiency, and long lifespan. Many people are now interested in powering or charging LED devices using their car's cigarette lighter or 12V power outlet. But is this actually possible and safe? Let's take a closer look. How Do Cigarette Lighters Work? The cigarette lighter outlet in your car connects directly to the vehicle's 12-volt electrical system. When you push the lighter in, it makes contact with two electrical terminals, allowing current to flow and heat up a heating element. This allows it to get hot enough to light a cigarette. When you release the lighter, the spring pushes it back out and disconnects the circuit. The outlet can provide a decent amount of power, around 10-15 amps on average. That's enough to run smaller electronics like chargers and inverters. Larger devices like power tools might overload th...