In our years of testing all sorts of power solutions for backups, blackouts and backcountry use, we always came across the Bluetti brand but never had the opportunity to test one of their power stations.
Until now when Bluetti offered us to give our take on the newly launched Elite 100 V2.
In my mind the Bluetti name represented the ultimate in power stations, both from the expandability factor as for the innovative features on all the units.
How does the Elite 100 V2 uphold our expectations?
Let’s get plugged in.
tl;dr
After years of seeing Bluetti in the power game, we finally tested the new Elite 100 V2 — a compact, lightweight, and seriously capable power station. It replaces the AC180 with better portability, faster charging, and boosted power specs, including 1800W output, 2700W power lifting, and 3600W surge. It’s perfect for short camping trips, blackouts, and road trips, but not expandable like Bluetti’s larger models. Fast charge times, a solid app, and thoughtful design make it a strong contender at $1099 (plus 5% off with DRN5 until July 31). Just wish it had a built-in light.
BACKGROUND
Bluetti appeared on the power station scene in 2011 when they introduced the world’s first Lithium-Ion power station for home backup.
They have achieved a stack of world-first product launches since, and many were crowdfunded on Indiegogo.
They produce anything and everything to do with home energy systems and for off-grid living. All designed in-house.
As a company it is pretty evident that they have a strong focus on green energy (perhaps that should be BLUE energy?).
Well, they do mention blue skies and our blue planet in their marketing…
And on smaller scale, they care for social issues: in 2021, Bluetti launched the Lighting An African Family project, aimed at addressing electricity shortages in Africa.
How do we as customers contribute to this? For every selected product sold, the company donates a solar power kit to provide lighting for households and communities in need.
A worthy goal!
BASIC FEATURES of the Elite 100V2
A product with V2 in the model moniker means an improved version of an earlier model.
Actually, the model that it replaces is the AC180.
That one is very similar in overall specs but the V2 is smaller, lighter, and features a140w USB-C port.
The 100 V2 also has improved surge power with the same power output of 1800W.
More on that in a moment.
Battery lifecycles have increased from 3500 to 4000 cycles, meaning you can use this power station for more than 10 years if you charge it once a day.
At the same time, full charging can be done faster: from 80 to 70 mins.
Obviously, this is charging the unit at Turbo speed via AC.
What has improved massively is the maximum possible solar input of a 1000W.
I’m not sure how useful this is as most folks, who use this for camping, might just deploy a small 200W solar panel.
And that should be enough to recharge on a sunshiny day.
So, what else are the standout features of the 100 V2?
For starters, it’s very lightweight at just 11.5kg.
The overall dimensions are also minimal (320 x 215 x250), making for great portability.
The handle at the back makes it even more portable, but, being integrated, is not all that handy as you always carry the unit at an angle.
The 100 V2 has 9 (nine!) ports to suck the juice out!
Including that very handy 140W USB-C port that can charge your Macbook.
There are also 2 DC5521 ports. These are the small 12V 5A ports for solar panels and charging accessories.
BOLD CLAIMS
Under this heading we will test the claims that this little unit can do some heavy power lifting.
We know that the 100 V2 is rated to output 1800 Watts.
That’s not nothing.
Bluetti claims that it also has a power lifting capacity of 2700 Watts, meaning you can plug in appliances with heating elements, like a kettle, or hair dryer. No problems with a microwave either.
In addition, there’s the boast that the 100 V2 can accommodate appliances that have motors which require a higher start-up capacity than the normal running wattage.
That “surge” rating is an amazing 3600W! Obviously only for a few seconds…
More on our tests below.
BENCH TESTING
Time to open the shipping box and admire the well-built, inherited good looks of the Bluetti family.
The AC and solar (MC-4) cables are included but not a car charger.
Granted, charging from DC is not the fastest way, but still, it wouldn’t hurt to include that cable.
However, Bluetti sells an optional alternator charger which can charge the unit up within 2 hours.
That’s about 6x faster than standard car charging. It’s a bit expensive at $449 but until the 31st of July the price is only $349.
The front of the unit is all business: in- and output ports, display and function buttons.
The 3 buttons are to turn on both AC 240V outlets, and one each for 12VDC and the USB ports.
Of these, we have a USB-C port at 140W and one at 100W. The other two are USB-A ports rated at 15W.
There is one 12V cigarette lighter socket, and there are two 240V outlets.
And the 2 small DC5521 ports.
Plenty of choice!
All you need to know about the capacity remaining and the state of charge are found on the clear and bright 10” colour display.
BACK TO CHARGING
Count the ways to charge the Elite 100 V2:
1. AC is the fastest way. 70 minutes to full in Turbo mode
2. DC the slowest at max 100W input (or at 600W with the Charger1 option)
3. Solar could be even slower but is also possible at 1000 Watts input
4. Generator (must have pure sine wave output)
If you just plug in the unit for a full charge, you will notice it takes up to 2 hours.
That’s because that is the Normal mode.
We noticed in testing that the display on the unit indicates 599W, but my Watt meter indicates about 30W lower.
There’s also the Turbo mode which does it in the claimed 70 minutes.
Tested: True indeed.
With 1200W input it charges from 0 to 50% in 28 minutes and all the way to 99% in exactly 1 hour.
The charging slows down to around 500W and even lower for the last few percentages.
There’s a bit of a trick to engage the Turbo charging: press and hold both the AC and DC buttons for a couple of secs. Or use the App.
Talking about the App: it’s one of the better apps for household appliances. Lots of things you can tweak, and you can receive all sorts of notifications.
I also discovered there is a Silent charge mode. As if the unit wasn’t quiet enough!
One thing to keep in mind is the fact that all power stations consume electricity even when nothing is plugged in. This load is around 10W.
We’ve tested this for the Elite 100 V2 and found that it switches itself completely off after a while if there is no other load on the system.
Top tip: power down the unit anyway when not in use so that the full battery is available when you need it.
Like in the following scenarios:
BLACKOUT SCENARIO
We have frequent blackouts at our property in rural West Australia.
This is where power stations are pretty essential.
Unlike a generator, you can bring these units in the house. They are very quiet, no smell, no muss, no dangerous exhaust.
One downside: most don’t have the capacity to keep at it for very long.
Have a look at this scenario that Bluetti proposes.
Yes, a power station of sufficient capacity can do all that, but the most important function (at least for us) is to keep the fridge and freezer going.
Spoilt goods can easily cost hundreds of dollars to replace.
So that’s where I tested the 100 V2 extensively.
Running a full-sized fridge freezer and a medium-sized freezer allows me to go about 8 hours in a blackout situation.
That would be sufficient for most outages, but I can also extend this by hooking up another power station to power the freezer directly.
When we’re leaving the house for a few days, I always make sure these two appliances are plugged into a power station.
If an outage occurs while we’re away, the system will keep the contents cool or frozen while we make our way home.
Another prime use for us is to have our security cameras hooked up to a power station while we’re away for a while.
These cameras have their own battery power backup as well, good for 5 hours, but beyond that a power station is very valuable.
Other home use for the 100 V2 include making a cuppa, using the microwave and charging the essential electronics.
We plugged in BOTH the microwave and the kettle to see if that would trip the unit.
And it did. Of course it did.
The microwave requires an output of around1600W and the kettle 2100W.
Interesting: I could almost bring the kettle to a boil (4 cups of water) before it also tripped.
It’s just a little bit beyond the 1800W output of the unit. It can sustain a bit higher for a few minutes.
A quick reset and the water boiled in another minute. That process took the charge on the unit down about 10%.
All in all, a pretty good result, with the Elite being capable of some heavy lifting.
BACKUP SCENARIO
Here’s where the Elite 100 V2 can function as a UPS.
With a switchover time of less than 10 milliseconds, it can keep your computer gear going for quite a bit longer.
It’s not a proper Uninterruptible Power Supply with an instant switchover, but close enough.
BACKCOUNTRY SCENARIO
Now this is where the Elite 100 V2 truly shines.
The unit is small enough to just chuck it in your car when you go away from the grid for a few days.
It can power your car fridge and your electronics. And run a StarLink Mini.
I would not task it with much heavy lifting, like powering an induction plate, unless you have the means to recharge the unit.
BLUETTI APP
And, yes, there’s an app for that!
I’m happy to report it’s a decent one.
You can connect via WiFi or Bluetooth and use the app as your remote control.
There is a lot you can access via the app, which is extra handy if your power station is not within reach.
BEST DEAL?
Is the Bluetti 100 V2 the right power station for you?
As always, that depends.
Being lightweight and portable is great but the battery has also a smaller capacity than its larger (and expandable!) siblings.
Unlike most of the other, bigger units in the Bluetti stable, the 100 V2 is not designed to be expandable.
Its capability to power bigger appliances is OK but not for very long as the capacity of the Elite 100 is only1024Wh.
So ideally, this is THE unit to have with you on short road trips, camping away for a weekend or using an electric power tool out in the field.
Also, if you are thinking of getting a dual battery setup for your 4WD, you might want to look at this device as it will do much more than a standard 12V second battery.
If there’s one thing I miss it is the lack of a light.
It would be nice to have an integrated light on the unit, particularly for blackouts or camping.
Their ad says: Camp Light. Backup Light.
Of course, I know what they mean: it’s lightweight.
But a light would be a very welcome addition…
In many ways, the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 is a perfect blend of capability and affordability, currently priced at $1099 during the Early Bird promotion until July 31.
With a 5-year warranty and a battery life span of 10 years plus, I think that’s a good deal.
Bluetti Australia has graciously provided DRN readers with an extra 5% discount on the already very reasonable price. Just put in this code at the checkout: DRN5
Here is the product page. For full disclosure this is an affiliated link where DRN will get a little commission to help keep our site running.
