Table of Contents

12V batteries, EV cars and camping

see also:

Introduction

  • most cars generate electricity for re-charging batteries and other purposes
    • a petrol or diesel engine does this via an alternator which has a rotor that spins within a magnetic field created by field coils, inducing voltage in the stator windings per Faraday's law
      • when current demand rises (e.g., from headlights, air conditioner, running a winch, or DC-DC power to a 12V battery), the voltage regulator boosts field current to maintain output voltage. This strengthens the magnetic field, increasing the magnetic drag (Lenz's law opposes the motion), so the rotor experiences higher opposing torque which in turn pulls more power from the engine, enriching the fuel-air mix or slowing RPM slightly, thus burning more fuel
    • hybrid electric cars use a generator to produce electricity - often when the car is braking, but for PHEV's also from the petrol engine driving the generator to ensure the main batteries are kept charged above 20-30% (or at 80% in charge mode) - engine-driven generator is more efficient than alternator conversion for high voltage battery charging.
  • running an air conditioner will drain the battery faster if there is no petrol engine
    • an air conditioner generally uses 1-3kW of electrical power
      • in a petrol car, this results in a 10-20% fuel consumption increase for city driving (a bit less for rural driving)
      • in a full EV, this will drain your batteries by 1-3kWh for every hour in use (at 100kph you would use ~15kWh every hour without the air conditioner on, hence air conditioner reduces mileage by about 10%)
  • Be very careful with river crossings in electric vehicles!
    • whilst most have battery systems are waterproofed to IP67/68, this usually only rates them to being submerged for under 30 minutes - more prolonged submerging generally requires safety checking and may require batteries to be replaced to avoid subsequent fire risk
    • most vehicles are rated for water levels up to sills only and then only for short periods
    • older batteries may have developed compromise to the water proofing and this could create an electrocution risk to occupants although this risk seems low
    • furthermore, big rocks or holes risk physical damage to the underbody/battery case rather than just water exposure
    • as with a non-EV 4WD, “if in doubt, don’t cross,” but if you decide to cross, check the current and path, stay at or below the manufacturer’s wading depth, go in slowly to form a bow wave, and avoid stopping midstream

Pros and cons of PHEV's for camping

example PHEVs with reasonable ground clearance and AWD or 4WD

  • as of Feb 2026, there do not appear to be any PHEVs well suited to offroad with ground clerances > 210mm and AWD or 4WD power trains

Pros and cons of fully electric vehicles (EVs) suitable for camping

  • a flat EV battery will leave you stranded and this is not an easy situation to resolve!
    • a solar panel is NOT going to be an adequate option to recharge your EV!
      • most camping solar panels only provide 200W power in full sun, so this would require 20hrs in full sun to recharge a 300Ah 12V LiFePO4 battery which would then provide 25km drive time (see below) if you also have all the other gear that is needed for this style of charging, and it is compatible with your EV
    • a petrol generator might be a better backup
      • this would require a slow 240V AC charging capability and charger and you have to be allowed to run a generator
    • if the local power grid goes down you will not be able to re-charge
      • storms can cut power for extended periods in regional areas
      • mind you, you may not be able to get fuel either so this may be a mute point although fuel is easier to be carted in
    • in some areas, EV charging stations may not exist, or worse, may not be working and you have relied upon them
      • eg. Nullarbor WA EV stations often malfunction or are on slow charge only;
  • EVs are practically silent - animals and people will NOT hear you coming - you need to be extra vigilant, especially in camp grounds and especially when kids are around!
  • in 2026, Ford ditched plans for ongoing production of its much criticized fully EV F-150 Lightning - their US EV pickup which resulted in US$4.8 billion loss due to its EV division alone for the 2025 year, and instead is no prioritizing hybrids rather than full EV - Ford total loss for 2025 was US$8.2 billion and US$5.9 billion in 2024 and they expect short-term losses of US$19.5 billion.
  • full EV probably is not going to make it with current technologies for those with 4WDs, especially if they tow

Example fully electric vehicles suitable for camping

Subaru Trailseeker

  • although Subaru has announced a full EV TrailSeeker for 2026, Trump's tariffs has resulted in plummeting US sales and 70% of their market is the US so this may severely impact their future which is now leaning more to utilising Toyota hybrid tech

Using your EV battery for camping

  • JUST make sure you don't flatten the EV's batteries or you will be stranded and need to be towed out - jump starting is not going to work!!!
    • your friends are not going to be able to go to the nearest town and bring back some electricity - unless perhaps if they also had an EV with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) AC output and your car allowed 1500W 240V AC charging!
    • maybe bring a petrol generator and a jerry can of petrol - and suitable charging gear - if compatible with 240V output - probably get 12km driving per 1hr of generator charge

Emergency charging an EV using a 12V LiFePO4 battery