How Long Will the DJI Power 500 Run a 12V Car Fridge?
Updated 2026-10-17 · Yes
The numbers
| Battery capacity | 512Wh (LFP) |
|---|---|
| Usable energy | 471Wh (92% via 12V/USB DC output) |
| Continuous AC output | 1000W |
| Surge rating | Not published |
| 12V car fridge running watts | 45W |
| Startup watts | 60W |
| Average draw | 18W |
| Estimated runtime | 26 hours |
| Energy per day of typical use | 432Wh |
512Wh × 0.92 = 471Wh usable ÷ 18W average = 26.2 hours
Station specs: source, checked 2026-10-17. See how we calculate runtime.
Adjust the numbers
Check the label on your 12V car fridge and enter its real wattage.
Recharging with solar
The DJI Power 500 accepts up to 300W of solar input. In real conditions that harvests about 1.1 kWh on a sunny day (5 peak-sun hours), or about 750Wh with one 200W panel.
Solar can keep up. A 12V car fridge uses about 432Wh a day at 24 hours of use, so with enough panels and good sun the DJI Power 500 can run it indefinitely.
Tips
- Compressor coolers like Dometic, ICECO and BougeRV plug into the 12V car port, which skips inverter losses entirely.
- Running it from the DJI Power 500’s DC port instead of the AC outlet avoids inverter losses: about 36Wh more usable energy.
- The DJI Power 500 uses LiFePO4 (LFP) cells, rated for thousands of cycles, so running it down daily won’t wear it out quickly.
Other power stations running a 12V car fridge
| Power station | Capacity | Output | Runtime | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackery Explorer 300 Plus | 288Wh | 300W | 15 hours | Yes |
| Goal Zero Yeti 500X | 505Wh | 300W | 26 hours | Yes |
| EcoFlow River 2 Max | 512Wh | 500W | 26 hours | Yes |
| Anker 535 PowerHouse | 512Wh | 500W | 26 hours | Yes |
| Jackery Explorer 500 | 518Wh | 500W | 26 hours | Yes |
| EcoFlow River 2 Pro | 768Wh | 800W | 39 hours | Yes |
| Anker SOLIX C800 Plus | 768Wh | 1200W | 39 hours | Yes |
| Bluetti AC70 | 768Wh | 1000W | 39 hours | Yes |
FAQ
Will the DJI Power 500 run a 12V car fridge overnight?
Yes. Eight hours uses about 144Wh, roughly 31% of the DJI Power 500’s usable capacity.
How long does the DJI Power 500 take to recharge with solar?
With its maximum 300W of solar input it refills in about 2.3 hours of strong sun. With a single 200W panel, expect about 3.4 hours of full sun.