Evaluation of 165W three-port car charger

For those who frequently drive or work as taxi drivers, charging smart devices like phones, tablets, or laptops in the car has become commonplace. Hence, high-power, multi-port car chargers are the optimal choice for vehicle owners .

Product Description

Compared to traditional car chargers, the 165W three-port car charger has a larger output and more ports due to its circuit design. Additionally, it is constructed using PC flame-retardant materials, featuring a three-part assembly. The insertion end has a frosted matte surface treatment, the middle section sports a sleek black design, and the output panel is delicately finished with fine grain sandblasting, presenting an exquisite appearance.

The 165W three-port car charger features an LED light opening above the PD3.0 port, allowing users to easily locate the charging position at night and stay informed about the charging status while the device is powered.

The charger is equipped with metal spring contacts on both sides, compatible with mainstream cigarette lighter sockets. It securely locks into the socket, ensuring stability even on bumpy roads.

The 165W 3 port car charger features a three-part assembly design, with distinct sections for the plug end and the output end.

Specifications
Input: 12-24V;
PD3.1 output: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/5A, 28V/5A 140W ;
PD3.0 output: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/3.25A 65W;
USB-A output: 5V/4.5A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A 36W ;
Total output power: 165W Max.

The length of the 165W USB C fast car charger is approximately 88.03mm

The diameter of the plug end of the 165W three-port car charger is approximately 20.7mm

The diameter of the plug end of the 165W 3 port car charger is approximately 20.7mm

165W three-port car charger output panel length is approximately 52.09mm

Protocol Testing

The protocol testing module primarily examines the complete fast-charging protocols of the charger. Users can match the output device based on specific protocols. Additionally, vehicle batteries come in two categories: 12V and 24V. Hence, testing the car charger under both scenarios for fast-charging protocols ensures an enhanced fast-charging experience.

24V voltage input

Using POWER-Z KM003C, it was determined that the port marked with PD 3.0 supports various charging protocols such as FCP, SCP, AFC, QC3+, MTK, PD3.0, PPS, QC5, DCP, and Apple 2.4A. The protocol support range is quite extensive.

In terms of PDO messages, this port supports five sets of fixed voltage levels: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, and 20V/3.25A. Additionally, there is one set of PPS voltage levels ranging from 3.3V to 21V at 3A.

Using POWER-Z KM003C, it was determined that the port marked with PD 3.1 supports charging protocols such as FCP, SCP, AFC, QC3.0, PD3.1, DCP, and Apple 2.4A.

In terms of PDO messages, this port supports six sets of fixed voltage levels: 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3A, 20V/5A, and 28V/5A.

Product Evaluation

Next, I will take you to take a look at the specific experience of using this car charger. We will give you a comprehensive understanding of this charger from aspects such as compatibility testing and full charging testing.

Charging compatibility test

The compatibility testing phase aims to provide a clear understanding of how the car charger interfaces with various devices during charging. Charging Head Network will conduct tests with dozens of devices to present readers with authentic testing data.

12V Input Voltage

Below, a multi-device compatibility test will be conducted under 12V vehicle voltage.

PD 3.1 Type-C

The 165W 3ports car charger PD3.1 port charges the MacBook Pro 16 laptop. The measured current charging power is 20.05V 4.66A 93.36W.

The 165W three-port car charger’s PD3.1 port was used to charge a power bank that supports PD 140W input and output. The actual measured charging power was 27.94V 4.89A, which equates to 136.6W.

During charging tests conducted on the aforementioned mainstream devices, it was observed that the devices were compatible with voltage levels of 5V, 9V, 15V, 20V, and 28V. The highest measured charging power reached PD 140W.

The charging power of the aforementioned devices was graphed into a bar chart. It was observed that for devices like smartphones and tablets, the charging power reached a maximum of around 40W. Laptops showed charging powers of 60W and 100W, while the highest attainable fast charging capability was PD 3.1 at 140W.

PD 3.0 Type-C

The Samsung S23+ phone was charged using the PD3.0 labeled port of the 165W three-port car charger. The measured charging power at present was 9.06V 2.91A, totaling 26.36W.

Charging tests conducted on the mentioned mainstream devices revealed that the charging devices were compatible with voltage levels such as 9V and 12V. The highest measured output power reached 32.41W.

The charging power of the mentioned devices was depicted in a bar chart. It was observed that for smartphones, the charging power ranged between 10-27W, whereas for tablets and laptops, the majority of devices exhibited charging powers exceeding 30W.

USB-A

The Redmi K60 Pro phone was charged using the USB-A port of the 165W car charger. The measured charging power at present was 8.21V 2.05A, totaling 16.81W.

Charging tests conducted on the aforementioned mainstream devices revealed that the charging devices were compatible with voltage levels such as 5V and 9V. The highest measured charging power reached 20.36W.

The charging power of the mentioned devices was represented in a bar chart. It was observed that for mainstream branded phones in the market, the charging power remained at two levels: 10W and 18W. Additionally, they support SCP fast charging protocol. The HONOR 80 Pro phone exhibited a charging power of up to 20.36W.

24V input voltage

Below, compatibility testing will be conducted with multiple devices under a 24V vehicle voltage setting.

PD 3.1 Type-C

At 24V voltage, using 165W usb c car charger via the USB-C port to charge the MacBook Pro 16 laptop, the measured current charging power is 19.77V 4.64A, totaling 91.79W

The 165W mulitport car charger paired with a MagSafe 3 charging cable charges the MacBook Pro 16 laptop, delivering a measured current charging power of 28.05V 4.61A, totaling 129.32W.

Charging tests conducted on the mentioned mainstream devices revealed that, aside from phones, tablets, and laptops, using specific cables for PD 3.1 supported devices can achieve a charging power of up to 129.32W.

The charging power of the mentioned devices was depicted in a bar chart. Phones, tablets, and similar devices showed comparable charging powers to those observed under 12V voltage. However, for laptops, the charging power through the USB-C port reached 76W and above. Additionally, it was verified that this car charger supports PD 3.1 140W charging.

PD 3.0 Type-C

The PD3.0 labeled port of the 165W 3port usb c PD car charger was used to charge the MacBook Pro 16 laptop, with the current measured charging power at 20.61V 3.22A, totaling 66.42W.

During charging tests conducted on the mentioned mainstream devices, it was observed that this car charger supports a 20V output voltage, and the highest measured charging power reached 68.65W.

Representing the charging power of the mentioned devices in a bar chart reveals that this car charger can currently support higher power output. For the more compatible Nubia Z30 Pro phone, its charging power reached 68.65W, momentarily surpassing the laptop’s 66.42W, and also exceeding the nominal 65W output.

USB-A

The USB-A port of the 165W three-port car charger was used to charge the HONOR 80 Pro phone, with the current measured charging power at 8.28V 2.42A, totaling 20.04W.

During charging tests conducted on the mentioned mainstream devices, it was observed that the output power of the charging devices showed no significant difference compared to the 12V voltage.

Representing the charging power of the mentioned devices in a bar chart reveals that for smartphone devices, the charging power remains at two levels: 10W and 18W. However, for the HONOR 80 Pro phone that supports the SCP fast charging protocol, its charging power reaches 20.04W.

Simultaneous multi-port output

The 165W multiport car charger is labeled with a total output power of 165W Max. Upon simultaneous charging, the PD 3.1 port’s maximum power is PD 100W. At this point, it is no longer affected by other connected devices on different ports.

The dual Type-C ports of the 165W 3-port car charger were used to charge two laptops, with the current measured input powers for the notebooks being 91.38W (PD3.1) and 61.44W (PD3.0) respectively.

The three USB ports of the 165W three-port car charger were used to charge two laptops and one mainstream phone. The current measured input powers for the devices were 91.66W (PD3.1), 14.6W (PD3.0), and 9.58W respectively.

Full charging test

The complete charging process of the 2C1A 165W car charger‘s USB-C port, supporting a maximum output of 140W, was tested using the iPhone 14 Plus. Throughout the charging process, the car charger was placed inside a constant temperature box set at 25℃. After powering it on, the measured data is as follows

After powering on, the handshake initiated at 9V voltage. For the initial 18 minutes, the charging power remained stable at around 27W. Subsequently, the power decreased to approximately 22W and continued until the 31st minute. Following this, the power further declined to about 15W and sustained until the 42nd minute. By the 50th minute, the phone entered trickle charging until it reached full capacity. The entire charging process took approximately 2 hours and 7 minutes.

Drawing the data into a line graph illustrates that charging the iPhone 14 Plus took 25 minutes to reach 50%, 51 minutes to reach 80%, and approximately 2 hours and 7 minutes to reach a full charge.

Next, we will conduct a charging test using the MacBook Pro M1 Max as the test subject

After power-up, a handshake was initiated at the 28V voltage level. For the initial 17 minutes, the charging power remained consistently around 117W. Subsequently, the power decreased to 99W and continued until the 33rd minute. Afterward, the power further dropped to 67W and sustained until the 48th minute. Then, the power declined again to 43W and continued until the 1-hour-and-3-minute mark. Following this, the power exhibited a gradual decline until reaching full charge. The entire charging process took approximately 1 hour and 43 minutes.

Drawing the data into a line graph illustrates that charging the MacBook Pro M1 Max took 27 minutes to reach 50%, 51 minutes to reach 80%, and approximately 1 hour and 43 minutes to reach a full charge.

Temperature test

Let’s now examine the thermal performance of the 2C1A 165W car charger. The charger was placed inside a constant temperature box set at 25℃. The C port provided a continuous output of 28V5A, totaling 140W for 30 minutes. Subsequently, the surface temperature was captured using a thermal imaging camera.

The highest temperature measured on the surface of the car charger after 30 minutes was 44.4℃.

The highest temperature measured on the other side was 46.2℃.

Drawing a bar chart illustrates that the car charger’s highest temperature ranged between 44.4-46.2℃. After a continuous 30-minute output at a high power of 140W, the charger felt noticeably warm to the touch. Overall, the temperature control exhibited good performance.

In conclusion

The 165W three-port car charger features a larger output end design, with a three-part assembly. It has a frosted matte finish on the insertion end, a sleek black finish in the middle, and a finely textured matte finish on the output panel, presenting an exquisite appearance. Additionally, it includes 2Type-C and 1USB-A ports, compatible with mainstream cable connections.

In terms of charging performance, this 165W 3-port car charger exhibits boost output capabilities, enabling it to handshake at a 20V charging voltage level even under 12V vehicle voltage input. Moreover, when paired with dedicated charging cables and 140W charging devices, it achieves PD3.1 140W output efficiency. During ripple testing, the ripple values across different settings of the car charger were below 19mVp-p, showcasing minimal variation and ensuring a stable output.

Overall, the 165W three-port car charger excels in boost output capabilities, delivering ideal performance under various vehicle voltage settings. It provides higher charging power for mainstream smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Additionally, it maintains lower charging temperatures under load, ensuring safer charging within car settings.