Review: Pecron E2000LFP Expandable Portable Power Station

Earlier this month, late winter (or early spring) ice storms hit much of eastern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. The rain, which froze tree branches and power lines, eventually left hundreds of thousands of homes without power, some for days. Where I live in Ontario, we've had a lot of freezing rain, but we survived unscathed. Still, the hurricane and its aftermath are another reminder of the growing threat of extreme weather with power outages. And another reminder of why it's even more profitable to invest in a portable home battery generator. Something to turn on the lights, turn on the fans, even start the fridge. Safe for indoor use and portable enough for hiking.

I was just testing the latest example that came to my office for evaluation: the Pecron E2000LFP Expandable Portable Power Plant.

First impression

The Pecron E2000LFP is a rugged portable powerhouse.

My review unit is black with orange bumpers on all corners. On the front is an impressive array of power-out ports (including six sockets), each with a dirt-resistant plug. There is also an LCD screen on the front that displays important information such as the percentage of battery remaining. At each end of the power station are handles with molded rubber pads. Below that is a wireless Qi charger on the top.

Multiple devices can be charged or powered at the same time as long as the total wattage does not exceed 2000W. That means it can power appliances like kettles or toasters that many battery-powered power stations can't handle.

Both ends have ventilation holes and one also has a connector that allows you to connect an additional power supply. With the external battery Pecron EB3000, the impressive power plant output can be increased from 1920 Wh to up to 8 kWh.

The battery of the power station is lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4). Despite being heavier, advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries include longer cycle life (longer cycle life), better heat resistance, and improved safety.

Key features of the Pecron E2000LFP:

• 1920Wh LiFePO4 battery with over 3500 life cycles up to 80%
• Pure sine wave 2000W (expandable to 4000W)
• 16 output ports (6 x 100-120V AC, 12V DC, 15W Qi wireless charger, 2 x DC 5525, 4 x USB Type-A and 2 x 100W USB-C
• Over voltage, over temperature, overload, short circuit protection
• Charging via AC, DC or optional solar power
• It supports fast loading
• Battery expansion connector (for use with optional Pecron expansion batteries)
• 16.1 x 10 x 11.6 inches, weighs 48.5 pounds.
• Includes zippered accessory pouch, charger, DC (car) charging cable, 2 MC4 solar charging cables, bungee pouch.
• MSRP $1499

Pecron E2000LFP Real Tests

The power of 1920 Wh with a power of 2000 W makes it a very powerful portable power generator. You can leave your smartphone for several months. And with the Qi wireless charger, you don't even have to plug it in!

However, most people don't spend that much on charging their phones – look for something that will keep their essential gadgets and household appliances running in the event of a power outage. How does the Pecron E2000LFP fare in some real world situations?

Most of the big powerhouses I've tested have spent time in my basement fueling our spare fridge. It's a full-size model, 21 cubic feet and about 20 years old, so it's not very energy efficient. And the test took place during an anomalous mini-heatwave when the temperature hit 80 degrees. The E2000LFP keeps the fridge running for 29.5 hours.

Just a week after the heat wave, it's snowing again. I turned off the stove and installed a 1200W portable ceramic heater in my home office. The windows cracked in the draft and the temperature began to drop rapidly. The E2000LFP can turn on the heater to keep my desk at a comfortable 70 degree temperature for two hours. It might not sound too impressive, but it's a sight to behold: portable heaters are resource-intensive.

Instead of heating up the entire room, you can plug in an electric blanket and turn it on for 24 hours or more. He can use essential equipment like a CPAP machine for three to four nights.

About this power supply…

If there's one thing that stands out a bit about the Pecron E2000LFP's design, it's the power supply.

This is a large component for charging the power plant from the socket. Check out the photo below and you can see it completely outshines my iPhone 13 Pro Max. When in use, a fiery red glow is visible from within. The metal body never feels hot, but most are an instant fan. It quickly climbed to 66dB and stayed at that level throughout the charge cycle. The fans not only make noise, but also emit an unpleasant "chemical" smell. The smell has dissipated a little after three charging cycles, but has not completely disappeared.

The advantage of the larger magazines is that the plant itself is smaller.

The battery charges from zero to 100% in about three hours. You can literally cut your time in half by purchasing a second charger – the E2000LFP can use two chargers at the same time. You can also charge from your car or with a solar panel.

Pecron E2000LFP recommendation

I'm not interested in the Pecron E2000LFP power supply – it's big and noisy. The handle design is comfortable for two people to carry the portable generator, but I didn't like it as much as the traditional single carry handle. Because power output is all or nothing and the screen is always on while the device is in use, the battery can drain faster than competitors that only power select output ports.

But despite those few downsides (which might not even matter to a prospective buyer who considers it a once or twice a year home backup power supply), there are many benefits to this portable generator. It has a wide range of power delivery options, supports fast charging, can handle high demand devices like portable heaters, is expandable with an optional power bank, supports the use of optional solar panels, and Pecron also offers an optional cart stand if you find 1. its weight of 48.5 lbs is too heavy to move.

And at a regular price of $1,499, it's about $500 cheaper than many other options with this feature.

If you're concerned about not being able to provide basic power to your home during a power outage (or need portable power for activities like camping), the Pecron E2000LFP is worth considering. It offers more power, more efficiency, and more flexibility (if you decide to expand its core capabilities) at a very attractive price.

Disclosure: Pecron provided the E2000LFP generator set for evaluation but was not involved in this review.

Overview of the Pecron E2000LFP 2000 W LiFePO4 modular solar power plant