Can I use the USB outlet in my vehicle to power the dash cam?Updated 14 days ago

Unfortunately, this is not something we would recommend as the USB power source in most vehicles can only provide 5V and ~500mA to ~550mA of current, which is not enough to power a dash cam, as it requires at least 12V and ~1A to ~2A of current. This is why dash cams typically include a cigarette lighter adapter cable (also known as a 12V power cable).

Instead of powering your dash cam using the 12V power cable, we always recommend hardwiring the dash cam into your vehicle so that it can offer parking mode protection too.

BlackVue X-Series and VIOFO cameras can be powered via USB if enough power is supplied. The cigarette lighter cable can be taken out of the adapter for this, or a USB cable can be purchased. However, this USB port needs to turn on/off with the vehicle. If it stays on when the car is off, the camera could potentially fully drain your vehicle battery. Additionally, for VIOFOs, the USB port must be power-only (plugging it into a data-capable USB port may cause it to think it's plugged into a computer and not function properly), while BlackVues require the USB port to supply at least 12V/2A.

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