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Is this the end for jumper cables?

It’s happened to many of us with older cars that don't have an "auto off" function on their headlights: you park at work in a lit car-park and forget to turn off your headlights.

Come home time and your battery is dead, your car won't start and - let's face it - jumper leads are awkward things to carry around in your car (though it's a sensible thing to do, not only for yourself but for other unfortunate drivers who might need help).

What's the alternative? Well a fast charge for you battery through... your 12V cigarette lighter/power socket.

START IN 15 MINUTES

A UK company, Bluecol, has introduced the Car-to-Car Jumpstart Charger which, while not getting you moving immediately, takes about 15 minutes to put enough charge into your battery to have it working again. It comes with a six-metre cable, a digital display, and a plug for each car's power socket at each end.

VIDEO: See how it works

"No need to lift the bonnet," says Bluecol, "or frantically try to remember which jump lead goes where and in what order. Plug in, switch on the donor car’s engine, switch on the recipient car’s ignition, and wait.

"Typically, the car will be ready to start within 15 minutes  or as soon as the displays stays at a steady 20%."

SIMILAR IN SA?

Matt Neary of Bluecol told Wheels24: "This is a really useful gadget. It’s very easy to use, it fits in a glovebox, or in any other small storage compartment, and you can stay in your car during the process."

The Bluecol Car-to-Car Jumpstart Charger costs the equivalent of about R330. If there's a distributor or similar product already available in South Africa, email Wheels24 and tell us about it.



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