Last Updated on May 12, 2025 by nice2buy
There was a time — a glorious, oily, petrol-scented time — when a real driver carried nothing but jumper cables, a bit of know-how, and maybe a grumpy friend willing to push.
Now? We’ve got this: the Portable Car Emergency Start Power Supplier — a device that looks like a chunky power bank and promises to resurrect your car faster than a priest with jumper leads.
And yes, I get it. Modern problems require modern solutions. Your car’s battery dies because you left the lights on? Press the magic box. No one around? No problem. Just plug, clip, push, and poof! Your engine lives.
But let’s be honest: if your vehicle needs an emergency defibrillator every other week, it’s not the battery’s fault — it’s yours. Or it’s a French car. Possibly both.
These little boxes come with lights, USB ports, some even have built-in compasses — because apparently, if you can’t find north, you definitely know how to jumpstart a car using a lithium-ion brick.
Yes, they work. Sometimes. Until they don’t. Until you forget to charge it. Until it’s -10°C and the little screen starts blinking like it’s having an existential crisis. And then you’re left staring at a very expensive rectangle that’s about as helpful as a vegan at a BBQ.
Final thoughts:
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Useful? Occasionally.
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Reliable? About as reliable as a Wi-Fi signal in a concrete basement.
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Better than jumper cables? Only if you’re socially allergic to strangers.
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Clarkson’s verdict?
If your car won’t start and you’d rather rely on a USB-charged shoebox than ask your neighbor for help, congratulations — you’re exactly who these are for.
But for the rest of us? Maybe just… maintain the damn battery.
