How Long Will the Jackery Explorer 500 v2 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 | 500W |
| Surge rating | 1000W |
| 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 Jackery Explorer 500 v2 accepts up to 200W of solar input. In real conditions that harvests about 750Wh on a sunny day (5 peak-sun hours).
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 Jackery Explorer 500 v2 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 Jackery Explorer 500 v2’s DC port instead of the AC outlet avoids inverter losses: about 36Wh more usable energy.
- The Jackery Explorer 500 v2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| DJI Power 500 | 512Wh | 1000W | 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 Jackery Explorer 500 v2 run a 12V car fridge overnight?
Yes. Eight hours uses about 144Wh, roughly 31% of the Jackery Explorer 500 v2’s usable capacity.
How long does the Jackery Explorer 500 v2 take to recharge with solar?
With its maximum 200W of solar input it refills in about 3.4 hours of strong sun. A single 200W panel is enough to max out its solar input.