(Last Updated On: March 30, 2021)

Car chargers have evolved, mostly due to USB-C Power Delivery, as the charging tech calls for more charging power; simultaneously, Power Delivery is easily implemented into car chargers. With Power Delivery being able to charge smartphones and laptops, there are now car chargers that can do just that. If you’re a USB-C laptop owner, you may want to look into own a powerful enough PD car charger that can charge your USB-C laptop, just in case you ever need to charge your laptop while you’re commuting to work or on a road trip.

In this review, we’re taking a look at this RAVPower PD Pioneer 48W car charger that uses a powerful 30W USB-C PD port and a USB-A port.

Power

Output Charging:

Charging from this RAVPower car charger is higher than your normal PD car charger with an 18W charging speed, as the Power Delivery port on this car charger has a 30W charge rate. In our case, we tested the Power Delivery port with a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 laptop, a laptop that can charge via USB-C. The charging from the 30W PD port on this RAVPower car charger didn’t go how we thought it would, unfortunately, as the Lenovo laptop was only charging at about 3W.

That said, this is not entirely the car charger’s fault as some laptops require certain charging speeds to charge faster; in our review for the 45W Nekteck Power Delivery car charger, we were able to charge the Lenovo laptop at about 30W; this really means that the Lenovo Flex 5 laptop requires a 45W charge rate to be able to charge faster.

Does this mean that the 30W Power Delivery charging speed of this RAVPower car charger is a lie? No, the car charger can charge USB-C laptops, some even at 30W, such as the Macbook that has been widely known to charge fast with 30W. Even though the Lenovo Flex 5 laptop that we tested with the car charger can only charge at 3W, that’s still “Okay,” and the laptop could charge a bit.

The other port is a USB-A port that features Quick Charge 3.0 that can fast charge Quick Charge compatible Android smartphones. The best part is that you can use the max power output of the USB-C Power Delivery port and the USB-A port simultaneously, as the car charger has a max output of 48W. We were able to charge the Lenovo laptop and fast charge an LG G7 simultaneously.

You are also able to charge a smartphone from the USB-C PD port, too.

No products found.

Design

Size and Weight:

The car charger itself is tiny despite having a 30W Power Delivery port, with it having a length of 2.7 inches, a width of 1.5 inches, and a thickness of 1.1 inches. The charger won’t be in the way of anything.

Functional Components:

All you have to do to start using this RAVPower car charger is plug it into a 12Volt outlet in your car. Once plugged in, an LED power light turns on around the ports; the light makes it easier to see the car charger at night.

Build

Structure and Material:

The car charger’s build is great, and it doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart no matter how many times you take it out and place it back into a 12Volt outlet. There are some car chargers that have parts that get loose. That hasn’t happened with this car charger, even if it is made of plastic.

Tech:

The car charger did not get warm, even when we were charging the Lenovo laptop and LG G7 at the same time. However, the charger may slow charging down if internal temperatures do get too high during charging. Something common with car chargers.

No products found.

Reliability

RAVPower PD Pioneer 30W USB-C Power Delivery car charger is reliable in most cases; however, it’s not the most reliable for certain laptops if you want one that can charge your laptop at 30W. Like in our case, the Lenovo Flex 5 could not charge at 30W and was left to charge at 3W. It was able to charge the laptop but at a very slower charging speed. Not the most reliable in that case.

What is reliable is charging compatible devices at 30W, such as charging a Surface Go at about 25W with this RAVPower car charger and fast charge an LG G7. A Surface Go is one of those Tablet PCs that can charge with nearly any PD-rated charger, even with 18W Power Delivery chargers. The other reliable part is the higher 48W max output that lets you use both ports’ max power.

Summary:

Power:

Charging power from this RAVPower car charger is great as long as you’re charging the right devices. Charging the Lenovo Flex 5 laptop did not result in the best results. Charging a Surface Go via the 30W Power Delivery port did result in a fast charging speed, and we were able to fast an LG G7 with it.

Design:

The car charger is small and has an LED power light that makes it easier to see in the dark.

Build:

The car charger did not get warm in our tests, even when charging two devices simultaneously.

Reliability:

It’s a reliable car charger as long as the device that you’re charging can accept 30W and does not require a higher power output to fast charge.

	RAVPower Power Delivery Pioneer 48W Car Charger RP-VC019 Specs
USB-C Power Delivery Port	5V/3.0A | 9V/3.0A | 12V/2.5A | 15V/2A | 20V/1.5A (30W)
USB-A Port	5V/3.0A | 9V/2.0A | 12V/1.5A (18W)
Max Output	48W
Size	2.7 x 1.5 x 1.1 inches
Weight	1.2 Ounces

Conclusion:

This RAVPower PD Pioneer RP-VC019 48W Power Delivery car charger is great for charging larger and more powerful PD compatible devices such as USB-C laptops. There is a chance that it may not be able to fast charge your USB-C laptops, though, as there are some laptops that require a higher wattage output for fast charging.