Do euro-cars have the same size recharger (cigarette lighter) sockets as North American cars? My folks are joining us in Madrid and bring their new GPS (yes!), but want to recharge it on the go.
Posted by
Corsicana, Texas, USA
354 posts
The DC power outlet in most European rental cars is the same as that in US cars. You should be able to charge your cell phone or GPS unit as normal. The occasional traveler has reported that the outlet was a slightly different size, or that no outlet was present, so I suppose there are no absolute guarantees. You could check with the car company to put your mind at ease.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
No, they're not the same. They use the same voltage (12V) but are slightly different in size unfortunately (for whatever stupid reason). Find details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigar_lighter_receptacle (under "technical details")
Posted by
York, PA
300 posts
But since the article states that the type B socket is "Most often used in European automobiles, and sometimes as a second socket in American automobiles expressly for DC power connections" it would seem that your US items would connect properly in a Type B socket. Usually the negative conductor is a spring-loaded contact on the side of the plug anyway, which would be able to accommodate the diameter of either receptacle.
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
473 posts
We were just in Scotland in May and had no trouble plugging our Garmin GPS into the cigarette lighter in our rental car.
Posted by
York, PA
300 posts
Yeah, that probably would be a better response.
We had no problem plugging a Garmin 12V plug into the outlet in our rented Citroen in France this Spring.