A car charger should match the phones and cables that actually travel in the car. The Anker PowerDrive 2 is an older design with two USB-A ports, so I would assess it as a practical way to power familiar devices. I would not buy it expecting the capabilities of a modern USB-C Power Delivery charger. The size of a printed watt figure does not remove that difference.
This is a research-based review of ASIN B00VH88CJ0. The listing identifies model AK-A2310021. I have not measured its power output, temperature or fit in a vehicle socket. The assessment concerns the documented design and the decisions around using a two-port charger on a journey. Check your vehicle’s accessory-socket instructions and the delivered product’s electrical label before use.
Product image: Anker product photography from the Amazon listing.
What the older design offers
The listing calls this a 24 W, two-port USB car charger. It states a maximum combined 4.8 A and up to 2.4 A per port through Anker’s PowerIQ and VoltageBoost system. It explicitly excludes Qualcomm Quick Charge. The pictured output sockets are USB-A, and the package description says no cord is included. These are supplier specifications, not measured charging results for a particular phone. Source: Anker PowerDrive 2 listing.
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The coherent use is a car that already carries suitable USB-A charging cables and devices whose needs fit this arrangement. Perhaps two passengers need ordinary phone charging on a long drive. That is a different job from quickly adding power to a demanding device during a short stop. I would decide which situation dominates before buying an older charger simply because the ports look convenient.
If you already own a working PowerDrive 2, assess the actual task before replacing it. A new connector can be useful without making every older charger pointless. If your usual phone remains adequately charged on the journey and the equipment is in sound condition, keeping a suitable existing setup may make sense. For a new purchase, compare current alternatives and the cables they would require.
The cable is part of the decision
Check the phone end and charger end of the cable separately. A phone with USB-C can still require a different cable when moving from a USB-C charger to this USB-A charger. Do not assume the cable supplied with a recent phone will fit. Include a suitable, good-quality cable in the total arrangement, and choose a length that reaches without crossing the driver’s controls or creating a loose loop near the pedals.
For an older iPhone with Lightning, keep the cable clearly identified and in good condition. For a shared car, it may be simpler to keep two appropriate cables in a small compartment rather than borrow one from the house every morning. The goal is a predictable kit. A charger with two ports is not much help if the second passenger discovers that no matching cable came along.
Avoid building a chain of adapters simply to preserve the use of a particular lead. A direct suitable cable is easier to manage and inspect. If charging behaves unexpectedly, try a known working cable before concluding that the charger is defective. Keep the test simple and use the phone’s normal charging display. I have no laboratory measurements that would establish a particular cable-and-phone result here.
Navigation changes the useful test
A phone displaying navigation while streaming audio is doing a different job from a screen-off phone in a pocket. If that is your normal drive, test it in that state. Start with a known battery level, use your ordinary brightness and record the level at the end of a familiar journey. That tells you whether the setup meets your needs more directly than the charger’s maximum figure.
Do the assessment while parked or have a passenger observe it. Adjust cables, mounts and charging settings before driving. A charger should reduce the chance that you need to handle the phone, not create another reason to look down. If a connection is unreliable, resolve it outside the trip. Repeatedly reconnecting a cable on the road is not an acceptable everyday routine.
For a short commute, maintaining the phone’s battery may be enough. For a day of travel, you may need it to gain a useful amount of charge while running navigation. Define the goal before comparing products. A setup can be suitable for one journey pattern and frustrating for another. That is why I would not label this charger universally fast or slow without naming the device and workload.
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Two ports still share one product
Test both ports with the devices you intend to carry. Then test them together. The total rating and the per-port rating are different pieces of information, and a two-device arrangement deserves its own check. I would not promise that two phones reach the same charging speed they obtain from their preferred wall chargers. Their charging protocols, battery state and temperature also belong in the picture.
Consider the passengers’ priorities. One phone may provide navigation while another only needs an occasional top-up. Keep the cables arranged so each person can reach the right one without leaning across the driver. If the car often carries more devices than the setup supports, choose a deliberate solution for that need. Adding splitters or moving plugs around during every journey is a sign that the original plan no longer fits.
Do not choose this product for a laptop on the assumption that 24 W describes an appropriate USB-C laptop connection. The documented design is an older USB-A phone-charging arrangement. If a laptop or another demanding device needs vehicle power, choose equipment whose connector, protocol and output are specifically suitable. The clearest purchase decision is the one that does not depend on converting one product category into another.
The vehicle socket deserves attention
Check how the charger sits in your vehicle’s accessory socket while parked. It should fit according to the vehicle and charger instructions, remain accessible and avoid interfering with surrounding controls. A recessed socket or a cover can change the practical fit. Product photographs cannot establish the arrangement in every car, so I would treat the first safe fit check as part of accepting the purchase.
Learn whether the socket remains powered when the vehicle is off by consulting the vehicle documentation. Do not assume every car behaves like the last one you drove. This matters when deciding what stays plugged in between journeys. Follow the vehicle manufacturer’s advice rather than using a generic claim about all car chargers or batteries. The car is part of the system you are reviewing through daily use.
Keep the socket area clear and inspect the charger and cables for damage. Follow the product instructions for use and storage, especially in a parked car that can become very hot. I would not leave valuable charging equipment in direct sun simply because it lives in a vehicle. If anything behaves unexpectedly, stop using it and seek the manufacturer’s guidance rather than improvising a repair.
A scoped recall check
For this review I checked Anker’s official recall index and searched CPSC for the PowerDrive 2 and A2310 identification. I did not find a notice matching this model in those checks. That is a dated, limited research result, not a guarantee that every unit is safe or that no future notice can appear. Verify the exact model and any applicable notices before buying old stock. Source: Anker product recalls, CPSC recall search.
The distinction matters because Anker’s recall notices cover specific models. A power-bank recall should not be applied to every Anker charger merely because the brand is the same. Equally, the absence of a model from one notice should not be treated as an independent safety certification. Keep the delivered label and purchase information so that a later model-specific check is possible.
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Decide between keeping and buying
For an existing owner, I would begin with condition and ordinary performance. Does the setup reliably serve the phones in the car with suitable cables? If it does, a new standard alone is not a reason to create waste. If your devices have changed and the charger no longer meets the task, compare the complete replacement setup rather than replacing cables at random.
For a new buyer, the strongest reason to choose this model would be a clear fit with existing USB-A equipment at a sensible current price. Compare the delivered cost and seller with a suitable modern charger. Include the cable cost for both passengers in that comparison. Do not assume a discontinued-looking product is automatically a bargain. Old stock can cost more than a newer alternative, and the familiar name does not make the connector limitation disappear.
My assessment
The PowerDrive 2 is understandable as a two-port USB-A car charger for compatible phones and suitable cables. I would evaluate it with the navigation and passenger use that actually happen in the car. I would pass when the requirement is USB-C Power Delivery, laptop charging or a faster charging mode not documented for this model. Its value comes from fitting a modest job without extra complication.
You can inspect the exact item through my Anker PowerDrive 2 Amazon link. This is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This review contains no personal charging-speed or temperature result, and the recall check should be refreshed for the unit and date of purchase.
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