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Toyota Prius doubles as generator, provides power for ice storm victim
If you're one of the unlucky ones who just got socked with that huge ice storm, well, you're probably not reading this right now — your power is probably still out — but for those of us who like to prepare for the future, here's an idea: Use your hybrid vehicle as a generator.
Electrical engineer John Sweeney hooked up his Toyota Prius to a DC-to-AC voltage inverter, and with five gallons of gas, was able to run his 'fridge, a TV, the fan that keeps warm air circulating from his wood stove, and a few lights. Just don't forget to keep that garage door open, Johnny.
Via Unpluggd
By puff3456 at 12:58 PM ON 01/29/09
This is a good alternative to using a stand-alone generator however it can be done with any car possessing an alternator, not just a hybrid as the part of the car that allowed this to work was the gasoline engine, not any of the hybrid specific components.
By Tom Black at 7:21 PM ON 01/29/09
Puff is right that you can hook an inverter up to any 12VDC power source in your car and charge the battery using the gas engine. But I wonder if you'd generate enough amperage to be able to do much. Having the large battery pack in the Prius might have helped extend the output.
By Lilan Kahn at 1:40 PM ON 01/30/09
Not bash or any thing but this is hardly news, inverters are a 100 year old thing dateing back from when we started to use ac instead of dc.
also the engin is abel to output abut 80hp.
1hp is 736w so that is 58kw output, now you wont run things that has more than 1 phase on that but sure can get alot of effect out of it, now the limteing factor is the size of the generator thats in the car.
By firequake17 at 10:42 AM ON 01/31/09
I live in the middle of the ice storm damage- hopkins county Kentucky. This makes me wish I had a prius. We're running off a 5000 watt generator that I waited 9 hours in a line at Lowe's for.
By Eng.Bonnie.M-UGANDA-E.AFRICA at 11:58 AM ON 02/02/09
its practically possible
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