# Car Voltage In Europe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811 "2012-06-11T14:03:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joby515](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@joby515](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joby515)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/1 "2012-06-11T14:03:27Z")
Can I plug in a device such as a GPS or Cell phone in a cigarette lighter in Europe? Is it 12 v? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/2 "2012-06-11T14:10:55Z")
Simply yes, cars are basically the same **CAPT** ---
**Author:** ![steviep24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@steviep24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steviep24)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/3 "2012-06-11T22:11:39Z")
12 volt negative ground is the standard electrical system for just about all cars made today. You may want to check to make sure though. Some really old cars had 6 volt systems or positive ground. I believe some British cars (such as MG) had positive ground systems. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/4 "2012-06-12T07:05:10Z")
If the car is a rental, the lighter may not work: some companies disable them as a way to disencourage smoking in the car. Ask about it beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/5 "2012-06-12T09:31:38Z")
Wouldn’t they just remove the lighter and leave the socket active? I don’t think it would discourage smoking, none of the smokers I know use the car lighter. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/6 "2012-06-12T09:59:45Z")
My car is an ex-rental, the lighter is there but the socket is inactive; the rental company I use most often does the same. I’ve seen more than one smoker run out of lighter (specially now that for some reason everybody is using throwaways) and use the car’s. I’ve even seen someone who was looking for a light in the street go up to someone who’d just parked and asked to bum their car lighter. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/7 "2012-06-12T10:09:25Z")
Every single rental car that I’ve hired in the UK has come with an active socket, which I use to charge my phone so that I can use it for navigation. Data point to add to your collection, though I’m not absolutely certain that they are 12V. ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_G](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_g/32/5080_2.png) [@Steven\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_G)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/8 "2012-06-12T11:02:27Z")
All mainstream cars in Europe are -ve earth, 12V. If you rent something odd or old (pre 1970’s) you may have to check. Or if you rent a large HGV it could be 24V. All cars I rent in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Switzerland) have live sockets. Most are now called “power outlets” rather than cigarette lighters in deference to their main use! ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/9 "2012-06-12T14:24:17Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > My car is an ex-rental, the lighter is there but the socket is inactive; the rental company I use most often does the same. > > I’ve seen more than one smoker run out of lighter (specially now that for some reason everybody is using throwaways) and use the car’s. I’ve even seen someone who was looking for a light in the street go up to someone who’d just parked and asked to bum their car lighter. Maybe they are not doing it intentionally. Maybe some previous renter hooked something that drew too much current, the fuse blew and the rental company didn’t care to replace it. It would be stupid to intentionally disable the socket. Most people nowadays have smartphones and GPS that need charging. I would be mad if the socket in my rental wasn’t working. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/10 "2012-06-12T14:40:49Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > It would be stupid to intentionally disable the socket. Most people nowadays have smartphones and GPS that need charging. I would be mad if the socket in my rental wasn’t working. Yeah, especially since selling you the use of a portable GPS unit is a pretty common upsell these days. Although I suppose if they were really sneaky, they could only activate the power port if you pay for the GPS. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-voltage-in-europe/624811/11 "2012-06-12T15:09:53Z")
I have rented cars in Italy (2009) and France (2007) and plugged in my Garmin GPS with no problem.