AXLY Dashboard Kit
Best Car Phone Chargers to Keep Your Dashboard App Powered
The best car charger for running your phone as a dashboard is a USB-C Power Delivery (PD) charger of at least 30W per port — enough to keep the screen, GPS, and Bluetooth running as a dash cam and gauge display without the battery slowly draining.
Running AXLY screen-on as a dash cam or live digital dashboard uses real power — often more than a slow charger can replace, so the battery creeps down on long drives and track days. A USB-C PD charger sized to your phone keeps it topped off (and cooler) so it can record and gauge all day. This is the companion buy to your mount — together they complete the dashboard kit.
Our top pick · Best overall
Anker 525 Car Charger (67W)
Quick picks at a glance
- Best overall Anker 525 Car Charger (67W) Check price →
- Best compact Scosche PowerVolt USB-C PD Check price →
- Best for two devices UGREEN 69W Dual USB-C Car Charger Check price →
What to look for
- USB-C Power Delivery (PD) — needed to actually gain charge while the screen is on, not just slow the drain.
- 30W+ per port — comfortably powers an iPhone running camera + GPS + Bluetooth simultaneously.
- Two ports if you mount and navigate — power the phone and a passenger device at once.
- Compact body — a low-profile charger that does not block the second 12V socket or rattle loose.
- Quality cable — a short, durable USB-C cable that routes cleanly to your mounted phone.
Anker 525 Car Charger (67W)
A compact dual-port USB-C charger with plenty of headroom to keep a phone fully powered in dash-cam mode while charging a second device.
- 67W total, dual USB-C
- Powers screen-on use with headroom
- Compact, low-profile body
Scosche PowerVolt USB-C PD
A minimalist PD car charger that sits nearly flush in the socket — enough wattage to keep a mounted phone topped off without clutter.
- Flush, low-profile design
- USB-C Power Delivery
- Keeps the second socket clear
UGREEN 69W Dual USB-C Car Charger
High total output across two USB-C ports — power the mounted phone at full speed and a passenger device without either slowing down.
- 69W total output
- Two USB-C PD ports
- Full-speed dual charging
Your phone + AXLY = a free dash cam, digital dash & track timer
Mount your phone and AXLY turns it into three tools you'd otherwise buy separately: a dash cam that records the road with your speed burned in, a full-screen digital dashboard of live OBD2 gauges, and a drag-strip track timer for 0–60 and quarter-mile runs. It's all free in the app — you just add a mount and a charger.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a charger to use my phone as a dash cam?
For short trips, no. For longer drives or track days, yes — recording video with the screen on and GPS active drains the battery faster than a slow charger can replace, so a 30W+ USB-C PD charger keeps the phone powered and cooler.
Why does my phone lose charge even while plugged in?
Older or low-wattage car chargers (5W–12W) can not keep up with a phone running the screen, camera, GPS, and Bluetooth at once. A USB-C Power Delivery charger rated 30W or higher adds charge instead of just slowing the drain.
What wattage car charger do I need for an iPhone running navigation and a dash cam?
At least 30W of USB-C Power Delivery per port comfortably powers a modern iPhone running AXLY in camera or drive mode. If you also charge a passenger device, choose a dual-port charger with 60W+ total.
More gear guides
Diagnose it first with AXLY.pro — free
AXLY.pro is a free iPhone app that pairs with any Bluetooth OBD2 adapter to read codes, watch live engine data, and time your runs — so you fix the right thing before you buy parts.
As an Amazon Associate, AXLY earns from qualifying purchases — at no additional cost to you. Product links on this page are affiliate links; we only recommend products that complement the app.
Top pick: Anker 525 Car Charger (67W) Check price →