The fact millions of cars across Britain are currently sitting idle is great for the environment, but not so good for the cars themselves as batteries may begin to lose their charge. Solar-powered battery chargers are inexpensive and easy to use. Simply place one on your dashboard and plug into your 12v socket. Be aware that running your car’s engine for a short period of time won’t adequately charge its battery. In fact, it may drain it further if it is already weak.
If you’ve taken to your bicycle during these challenging times, you’ll be pleased to know that these solar panels can be clipped to a backpack and charge two USB compatible devices while you’re on the go.
Win a solar panel to trickle charge your car battery
We have three solar-powered battery chargers to give away. To be in with a chance of winning one of the solar panels simply leave us a comment and let us know what you’d charge with it.
solar powered battery charger
If you have some spare time while your vehicle is sitting idle, check tyre pressures, engine oil levels, washer fluid and coolant. Check the manual or online for advice on how to do this for your particular vehicle. Also, check the tyre tread and the condition of your windscreen wipers. Replace what you can at home, such as coolant and oil, or make a list and ensure the repairs are completed when you are able to drive again. The government has announced new legislation to allow for the fact that many garages are now unable to offer MOT tests – read more.
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance, travel insurance, breakdown cover and home insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
Debbie Watson
I’d charge up my rear cycle lights
Alan Whalley
Phone & lights
Neil Woolford
Phones, boring but true.
Arry O’Rourke
Definatley bike lights or phone!
Vernon Jennings
I’d use it to charge my mobile phone, simples!
Liz MacG
We have 3 cars on our drive at the moment, any of which could be needed in an emergency. A charger would ensure at least 1 car is working.
Andy B
Battery pack for charging bike lights and phone later
Peter Grant
Working from home self isolating with my pregnant wife. Her MOT was cancelled this week and so we have declared her car as SORN. Her car will now be sitting on our drive for some time. A solar charger would keep her battery topped up.
Craig
Excellent article, very interesting and nice battery charger. I’d love one for self isolating in the garden.
Gillian
One on these would be really useful for charging my phone during long days in the saddle. Once these restrictions lift obviously!
🚲🚲🚲🚲
Tony Tonge
I would take to camp and use it charge my rechargable LED lamp
Jeanette Hanley
I’d use it on my bike to power my bluetooth speaker and phone when I go out and about 🚴♀️
Just some nice chill out music.
Jason
My phones, not very original
philip carter
My mum who’s isolating because she’s in her seventies could do with this in her car to keep the battery health
Dan
Will use it for charging the phone so I can use it to read my sensors when I go on the turbo trainer.
Paul B
My bike computer and phone as these are used regularly.
Brian Shannon
I’d charge my EV, a Renault Zoe. She’s feeling neglected with all the cycling I do! I’ve already had to bring my brother around to jump start it last month
Peter Chisnall
Electrifying!
Gordon
What a clever piece of equipment. So many uses for both the cyclist and car owner.
Will Embliss
Charge my phone or an ebike battery
Pete
Phone and my AirPods. I read that as tickle not trickle first, which would have led to some different answers
Karl Wallendszus
My car doesn’t get all that much use normally so this would be useful even when there isn’t a lockdown on.
John Thys
Definitely change my car battery and my cycle lights
Doctor David Noble
What a wonderful idea,and, boon for my country practice
No matter what the day,or, time I could always be sure of starting first time ,every time!
Wonderful!
Dr David Noble
Anna
An electric cargo bike to get about delivering medication, food, games and rainbow pictures to fellow lock-downers.
John Thys
Definitely charge my car battery and my cycle lights
Lawrence Brunt
Boy, would I love to win this.
Chris Johnson
This would be excellent for us. As well as the immediate need for trickle charging an unused car, when all this is over we’ll be off cycle-camping in the arctic again (we hope) and solar charging would be a massive benefit (for keeping lights and torches topped up, as well as maintaining charge in mobile phones so that they can be used when in-signal. We’d love one of these.
Paul Miller
Great idea. For the car now while it’s not being used – saves having to go for needless drive to charge the battery. When this is all over I could use it during my cycle commute to charge my phone and the kids Nintendos
John Holiday
Keep the SAAB topped up, as am using my pedelec almost exclusively to get around. Great idea.
Mark Bobbitt
Yes please. This would be really handy.
Lesley Walton
Once I get back to cycle touring, after Coronavirus, I’ll use this to charge my phone – for navigation! Fab!!
Chris Bromwich
Looks so useful for all sorts of application as well as the trickle chard for the car battery
Yousaf Mirza
Wow! What a great piece of kit.
Toby
We’d charge a phone,
so we don’t feel alone.
We’d charge a light,
to make our streets bright.
We’d charge our car,
to travel far
when corona is done…
Then we’ll have fun!
Jim Woodlingfield
I got told off by the garage for nor driving enough as they had to replace my battery under warranty – this would keep them happy!
Rod Hewson
Great idea got a sat. nav. and mobile as well as the car battery.
Stay healthy.
Boyd N
The vans battery while its sitting on the drive and cycle lights and computer once the dark nights kick back in for commuting on the bike.
Russ Taylor
Definite must for charging the phone, especially the using it as a sat-nav on a ride!
Gavin
Good for converting photons into energy.
Mark Holling
I would take this on longer bike rides to top up my phone charge while out as I use it as a bike computer so it’s always on while I’m cycling. Plus it could be a backup for the battery on my new folding e-bike which I’m going to be using a lot after I retire next month. Otherwise it can charge stuff at home to save electricity from the grid, although we generate our own from April to September!
Nigel Latham
Being disabled I would be in real trouble if the car battery went flat (or nearly flat) and I could not use the mobility scooter hoist to load the scooter into the car.
David Curran
My old banger doesn’t get out much (usually less than 2,000 miles a year) but now with lock-down it is getting ignored. One of these panels would be ideal to ensure it will start when it eventually next gets used.
By the way, do ensure the socket you plug it into is “live” when the ignition is “off” (many are not).
Trevor J Hitch
I’d use it to keep my phone in tip top condition while walking. That way I can use my navigation app all day without worrying I’ll lose the battery and thrn lose myself. I winder if I could fix it to my hat? 🙂
Steve Green
A great idea. Would charge mainly the car battery, but would definitely find other uses for it.
Jo
Hoping it might keep my campervan ticking until we can use it again!
Vic Kearley
Charging Up!
Bob K
Great that it can charge two devices at the same time – but not two cars!! A really useful super bit of kit.
Graham Rooth
I would be grateful if ETA could recommend one of these to buy for my car battery. I see topping up the car battery as the most important use as far as I’m concerned.
Hedley
It’s my birthday today (I’m 53!)
Can I have a charger ?
Thank you – thank you !
Stephen
NICE ONE ETA! Thanks for your competitions and for trying to keep up the nation’s morale in these times. 👍🏿
Andrew M
Car, bike + charge my battery pack for everything on a hike!
Robert Lewis
I think one of these chargers would be perfect for my cycle camping trips.
Jonathan Jewkes
Just wish to echo what David Curran said. In many cars the 12v socket is not connected when the ignition is off. If you have such a car, you will need to connect the solar panel direct to the battery. Would be good if it came supplied with croc clips. You will need to work out which of the wires from the solar panel is positive, and which is negative.
The ETA
Thanks for clarifying that point, Jonathan. The solar panels come with croc clips
Raf
This would be fantastic for keeping the battery in my partner’s electric bike topped up – that could let us go touring together, once travel restrictions are lifted!
james
Sounds a great idea
James Bulman
I’ve invented a solar-powered still. It turns sunshine into moonshine. 🌞 > 🍺 > 🙃. This is my 3 month self-isolation strategy!
Anthony Rogers
I would use it to trickle charge my electric car when I am out and about and it is allowed out on the road again.
Steve K
Obviously charge either phone or car …
Elspeth D
One of these would be just perfect for a cycling courier like myself PLEASE 🥰
Elspeth
One of these would be just perfect for a cycle courier you like me to charge my phone, please.
Daren Smith
Leisure battery in campervan if compatible ready for when we’re free to roam
Neil schofield
Hi if would be great for charging the kids rechargeable toys
Julian Fargher
Burgler alarm for the bike shed. Weird isn’t it that ecars are covered in solar panels. I know it would only make a little difference but…
Julian Fargher
*Not covered
Chris Deacon
I would use this to charge my electric bike 😊
Will Bramhill
This piece of kit would be superb for my Saab. For the seven years that I’ve owned her she has done just 10,000 miles, being used just once every two weeks on average. Please take pity on a 17-year-old Swede who needs a trickle charge to keep her electrical juices flowing.
Pete
Phone for longer bike rides so I could use it as a sat nav device (less likely to get lost)
Stuart Young
Phone and tablet for when I’m on my trips round the Scottish Highlands and Islands again…hopefully
Rob Harris
Wish I had thought about this devise before, simple solution to avoiding flat batteries in the winter. Walking and cycling nearly everywhere is good but batteries need some TLC.
Philip Benson
Useful for charging my phone when I am on a cycling trip
Kieron Moore
My phone, cycle lights and fitbit
Margaret
A newbie to VW camper conversion whilst in my dotage. Let it go flat then couldn’t find battery! Charged now but would really like a solar trickle charger. If I don’t win please send costs delivery etc
Kim gray
In my old van, phone and on my bike
richard
Charge the great Donald with crimes against truth telling.
Derek
My car will be getting used a lot less and my bicycle a lot more so one of these to keep the car battery topped up and to charge my bike lights when I’m not doing that would be wonderful. Keep up the good work ETA!
Les Gunbie
I’d use it to charge the car I take kids from my primary school to forest school with – currently standing idle but hopefully back in use soon
Jan M
Wow! Didn’t even know car batteries could be charged up by solar power. Much easier than all that faffing around taking the battery out to trickle charge.
simon wood
i’d use a solar charger to charge my phone, ipad, backup battery, speaker, headphones, bike lights, camera batteries, desklight, radio, audio recorder, toothbrush and if there’s an adapter, my electric bike. Come to think of it, how have I managed to survive this long without one?
Michael Barnes
Sweet forgiving earth
’tis now ravage aloud
from country to country
with coronavirus abound.
So, become a bike rider
first, ensuring you’ve got
a solar panel charger
for smartphone to top.
Marta Pascual Argente
I will charge my bike lights, my phone and my USB speaker and headphones
Damian Connaughton
Would charge up phone and camera batteries on bike packing trips
Alan Jones
Car Battery. This will be charging my phone at festivals (if they go ahead)
Martin Meteyard
Vital for my car now that I’m self isolating.
Stephen
I’ve adapted one of my bikes into a makeshift cargo bike which we’re now using to deliver provisions to those self isolating in the village. A charger would help keep my phone topped up on my rounds.
🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲
Phil
I would charge things
Mike Croker
Watt a current competition – definitely electrifying!
Jane Collier
To hopefully charge the bicycle we have just acquired that has a seat to take my grandson out for a ride (when we are allowed to!!)
LockH
Charge spare/backup battery all day… Arrive home any evening and a full “recharge” takes two minutes… just by swapping batteries… 😉
Stevo
I like the idea of using one of these chargers to keep the car battery topped up. Even in normal times, my family doesn’t often drive far enough daily to actually charge it.
Thanks for the opportunity ETA.
DB
I am in the military and this would be excellent for exercises in the field and deployments, also for setting up the wahoo kickr in the garden 🚲
Pamela
Navigation(Garmin) and phone are essentials to keep charged. Then lights.
Darren C
Thank you again ETA for giving us all another chance to win something very practical and useful.
If I was one of the lucky three, I would use it in a not very out of the ordinary way to charge my phone and action cam which I have mounted on my handlebars for extra peace-of-mind.
I could mount the solar panel on a rear rack as I am still commuting by bike each day.
Keep safe everyone.
Jeremy Unwin
Great offer from ETA. Certainly useful if car is not used much but also good for rechargeable torches, satnav, phones etc. However, I assume the car 12v socket must be live at all times and controlled by the ignition.
Toity Deave
Interesting paper. Yes, please for charging my bike lights and phone after my cycle into and out of work when we are allowed to go back in.
Sarah
I would use it to keep my car battery topped up, it would also be used when we can get back to our regular camping trips for keeping our phones charged.
Cliff Goulden
Using NO electricity and saving our planet
TheCyclist
Yes please, I would love a set for my lights, phone & satnav while I am riding somewhere on a longhaul tour. Thank you. ❤🙏🚴♀️
Su
Solar power – what a great idea!
Beryl Squire
I’d trickle-charge my car. I have to self-isolate and live alone so don’t know how I’ll get the car started if the battery runs down.
Neels
I will charge my gate motor battery if i had one.