A 12 V lead acid battery ranges from around 12.7 volts when fully charged down to around 12.2 at 50% (the minimum recommended charge level for typical car batteries). When starting the car, the voltage will drop below that. When the alternator is running to charge the battery it is around 14 V.
Is there any regulation or filtering on the 12 V ports on cars, or do devices plugged into them see it all--the alternator voltage when it is running, a big drop when starting, and 12.7-12.7 at other times?