Appliance · Ev
How many watts does a Level 1 EV charger use — and can a power station charge an EV?
A 120 V, 15 A Level 1 EV charger (Lectron) draws 1.8 kW. Which power stations and generators can run it, and how little driving a station adds.
Level 1 cordsets differ in current; check the label of the cordset you use.
The representative cordset is Lectron's portable Level 1 J1772 charger with a NEMA 5-15 plug. Lectron's page rates it 15 A / 120 V / 1.8 kW, and the site uses 1,800 W as the running figure. Level 1 cordsets differ in current, so check the label on yours.
What changes the draw
A Level 1 cordset passes household current to the car, and the car's onboard charger decides how much it takes, up to the cordset's limit. Where the cordset or the car allows a lower charging current, the watts drop and a station's runtime stretches in proportion. The page assumes 10 hours of charging a day — 18,000 Wh, more than four times the largest station on this site holds.
No starting surge, but a big continuous load
There is no motor start and no starting figure. The deciding number is continuous output: 1,800 W rules out every station rated below it, including the 1,500 W Jackery Explorer 1000 v2. Running a station at or near its full rating for its whole charge also leaves nothing for other loads (fit rule).
Reading the tables
Runtime is time at the full 1,800 W. Example: the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 record has no maker factor, so the default 0.85 applies: 4,096 Wh × 0.85 ÷ 1,800 W = 1.9 hours. The Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus gives 3,840 × 0.85 ÷ 1,800 = 1.8 hours. Either way, a power station adds a short top-up, not a night's charge.
Power stations that can run it
Pass = continuous output ≥ 1800 W. Runtime = capacity × maker's factor ÷ 1800 W, nothing else plugged in. Method.
| Model | Fits | Runtime at 1800 W | Capacity | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARBERO 88Wh Portable Power Station (M82) | No | — | 89 Wh | $119.99 |
| DARAN R100 (89.6Wh) | No | — | 90 Wh | $149.99 |
| Bluetti EB3A | No | — | 269 Wh | $219 |
| EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus | No | — | 286 Wh | $299 |
| Anker SOLIX C300 | No | — | 288 Wh | $429.99 |
| Anker SOLIX C300 DC | No | — | 288 Wh | $349.99 |
| Jackery Explorer 300 | No | — | 292 Wh | $289 |
| Goal Zero Yeti 500 | No | — | 499 Wh | $499.95 |
| Bluetti AC70 | No | — | 768 Wh | $359 |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | Yes | 29 min | 1,024 Wh | $499.99 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 | Yes | 29 min | 1,024 Wh | $699 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic | Yes | 29 min | 1,024 Wh | $599 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | Yes | 29 min | 1,024 Wh | $799 |
| Anker SOLIX C1000X | Yes | 30 min | 1,056 Wh | $469.99 |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | No | — | 1,070 Wh | $559 |
| Bluetti AC180 | Yes | 29 min | 1,152 Wh | $499 |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus | Yes | 36 min | 1,264 Wh | $699 |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1500 | Yes | 43 min | 1,505 Wh | $1,499.95 |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1500X | Yes | 43 min | 1,516 Wh | $1,124.89 |
| EcoFlow DELTA Max (2000) | Yes | 57 min | 2,016 Wh | — |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 | Yes | 58 min | 2,042 Wh | $999 |
| Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus | Yes | 58 min | 2,043 Wh | — |
| Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 | Yes | 58 min | 2,048 Wh | $899.99 |
| Bluetti AC200L | Yes | 58 min | 2,048 Wh | $899 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | Yes | 58 min | 2,048 Wh | $1,299 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max | Yes | 58 min | 2,048 Wh | $1,199 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max Plus | Yes | 58 min | 2,048 Wh | $1,599 |
| Bluetti Elite 200 V2 | Yes | 53 min | 2,074 Wh | $899 |
| Jackery HomePower 3000 | Yes | 1.5 h | 3,072 Wh | $1,499 |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | Yes | 1.8 h | 3,840 Wh | $2,599.99 |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | Yes | 1.9 h | 4,096 Wh | $3,299 |
Generators that can run it
| Model | Fits | Load | Published run time | CO sensor | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion 100396 3400W Electric Start Dual Fuel Inverter | Yes | 58 % (gasoline) | 7.5 h @ 25 % | No | — |
| Champion 201241 13,500W Electric Start Tri Fuel Generator | Yes | 13 % (gasoline) | 8 h @ 50 % | Yes | — |
| Champion 201319 4500W Electric Start Dual Fuel Inverter | Yes | 51 % (gasoline) | 14 h @ 25 % | Yes | — |
| DuroMax XP13000EH | Yes | 17 % (gasoline) | 17 h @ 25 % · 8 h @ 50 % | Yes | $1,299 |
| DuroMax XP9500iH | Yes | 24 % (gasoline) | 21 h @ 25 % · 11 h @ 50 % | Yes | $1,999 |
| Generac GP8000E (with COsense, model 7715) | Yes | 23 % (gasoline) | 10 h @ 50 % | Yes | — |
| Generac iQ3500 (with COsense) | Yes | 60 % (gasoline) | 14.1 h @ 25 % · 8.9 h @ 50 % | Yes | — |
| Honda EU2200i | Yes | 100 % (gasoline) | 8.1 h @ 25 % · 3.2 h @ 100 % | Yes | $1,199 |
| Honda EU3200i | Yes | 69 % (gasoline) | 8.6 h @ 25 % · 3.3 h @ 100 % | Yes | $2,799 |
| Honda EU7000iS | Yes | 33 % (gasoline) | 16 h @ 25 % · 6.4 h @ 100 % | Yes | $4,899 |
| WEN DF680iX | Yes | 35 % (gasoline) | 6.1 h @ 50 % | Yes | $803.40 |
| WEN GN400i | Yes | 51 % (gasoline) | 7 h @ 50 % | No | $479.99 |
| Westinghouse WGen7500DFc | Yes | 24 % (gasoline) | 11 h @ 25 % | Yes | $1,299 |
| Westinghouse WGen9500DF | Yes | 19 % (gasoline) | 12 h @ 25 % · 8 h @ 50 % | No | $1,249 |
| Westinghouse WGen9500DFc | Yes | 19 % (gasoline) | 12 h @ 25 % · 8 h @ 50 % | Yes | $1,399 |
| Westinghouse WGen9500DFc EFI | Yes | 19 % (gasoline) | 15 h @ 25 % · 10 h @ 50 % | Yes | $1,549 |
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a Level 1 EV charger use?
Can a portable power station charge an electric car?
Can a generator charge an EV?
Sources
- Lectron EV — Portable Level 1 J1772 EV Charger 120V 15A NEMA 5-15 product page (accessed 2026-10-31)
Page updated 2026-10-31.