Car Power supply

I rented a car last week, a mazda 3 maybe 2024 or 5, and it had no cigarrette lighter port, only a round cap where it should have been.

It had no type-A USB jack either, only type-C.

But my laptop is 4 years old and isn't recharged by USB-C. Is there a cable with USB-C at one end and either Dell or a multiple choice of tips at the other? Or something that will work.

Is this going to be a trend in cars, no cigarrette lighter, or does Alamo get this because some people use the power port to run jack hammers or something they don't like?

USB socket 5V @ 2.1A

Not really much of a replacement for a 12V @ 25A lighter socket.

Paul

Are you sure that wasn't just a dummy plug to keep the dirt out. What happens if you pull it?

A 2017 Nissan has a 12V connector on the dashboard . It isn't a Cigarette Lighter according to the Car Manual.

I had a windshield mounted traffic Camera plugged in that socket until the suction cup failed and the camera dropped down. The camera broke so I took the SD Card out and threw the rest away(recycled). Ed

I didn't try. The cap tapered in thickness towards the edge, where it was less than a millimeter, unlike protective caps in my car and others, but you still might be write. Next time I'll try to post when I still have the rental. At any rate, I hope I remmeber to check when I rent a car for a month instead of a week, any place where I might live in the car part of the trip. I've done that, using the laptop in the car every night and every morning, so a power port that works is essential.

It works very well, has saved me from driving an hour back to my rented room and an hour in the morning to continue where I had been. I wake up at dawn so I have a long day to do things. I used to look for a hill so I could park facing up and sleep almost horizontal, but I've learned to sleep sitting up even where the ground is flat, with the seat only reclined a little bit. Once in a while I see someone else probably sleeping in the car, especially, in the US, in Walmart parking lots where overnight parkers are welcomed by Walmart.

Yes, Mazda provided it but that wouldn't stop Alamo Rentacar from plugging it up if they had a reaason.

In this case, I went to my hotel room every night and had no need for it in the car (or I would have tried a little bit to pry off the cover, or called them and asked), but besides the computer, I used to charge the camera battery from the "cigarette lighter". The Mazda 3 only had usb-C jacks. I had to go buy a C-C cable to charge the phone.

Buy an old van and convert it, that's what I did and I have never regretted it: