Pros Of Using A Generator
Well go through the most crucial benefits of having a generator in your house here.
- Guaranteed power supply Because power generators can produce electricity at any time and indefinitely, we will have a supply of power regardless of whether the main power system has failed or if there has been a power outage due to a storm or when your EV has run flat on a long journey.
It will allow us to continue with our daily activities using various electric devices.
- Avoiding damage We will avoid the losses caused by a power outage in a business by using an electric generator. Similarly, we protect our food in the refrigerator from spoiling or causing damage to our electrical equipment at home.
- Greater security Losing power may be a problem in particular industries and households with children therefore, purchasing an electric generator will provide us with more protection.
- Long-term profitability As long as they are utilized effectively, they are extremely lucrative gadgets.
- An additional reserve tank On those lengthy trips, a smaller generator that you may have tagged along in your EV may squeeze out an extra 10 miles or so to get to your next probable charging station at the expense of your patience when stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Other Benefits Of Using A Generator
Cons Of Using A Generator
The generator helps ensure that you have access to electricity at all times. For example, if you get a cut in the cold, it will not influence your comfort. However, as you might expect, the benefits frequently coexist with the drawbacks. Here are 5 typical disadvantages you will find when using a generator.
- If there is no gasoline, there is no generator. It implies that when it operates, combustion gases are released. As a result, you wont be able to put it inside your lodging. It has to be set up outside .
- When the gadget is turned on, it makes a noise. Depending on the equipment, noise pollution might be more or less severe.
- A generator must be linked to the electrical system before connecting to the home network. If you have no former experience in the field, doing the move on your own appears to be risky. Dont forget about your systems mandatory control.
Some EV charging cables have ground sensors installed and would not allow you to charge your car without specialized ground control modifications.
- Your generator must be powered by diesel or gasoline to return to fuel. It means youll need to have a certain amount on hand, especially if you want to be prepared for several power outages or refill your generators for longer trips when on the road.
However, both the storage and the generator must conform to environmental rules. Specifically, depending on the generators power and the amount of fuel stored, you may need to do certain activities.
Equipment You Need To Start Charging Your Ev With Solar At Home
You need the solar power system, a storage battery, and a charging station to start charging your EV with solar at home.
1. The solar power system
Buying a solar system shouldnt be too difficult. First, however, you must know the main parts and make sure to get quality parts from trusted merchants.
Generally, a solar energy system comprises three components, i.e., the panels, an inverter, and a racking/mounting system.
2. The solar panel
Solar panels are the most crucial component. Todays panels are either monocrystalline or polycrystalline. Monocrystalline solar power panels comprise singular large crystals and are darker in color. Youll also note that they lack corner cells. Meanwhile, polycrystalline panels comprise multiple smaller crystals, thus are light or dark blue.
Youre probably eager to find out which is better between the two technologies. Unfortunately, theyre pretty much the same. Instead, you need to focus on the quality of the product, the reliability of the manufacturer, and product longevity.
3. The inverter
Inverters are also critical to solar energy production as they help convert DC that the solar panels produce into a more stable alternating current . Most solar panel inverters ultimately give about 240V AC, equivalent to what you use in your home.
4. The storage battery
5. Charging station
Finally, you need a charging station. Its best to get the charging station from your car manufacturer. However, you can also buy one online.
Also Check: Tesla Stock Price History Before Split
Do I Need To Leave My Car Engine Running
Unless you own a wind farm or a giant solar array, when the power goes out, there are only two ways of generating backup power 1) Producing power from backup batteries, which will only last a few hours at best, or 2) producing power from an internal combustion engine. Like a traditional gas generator, with CarGenerator, a gas motor provides the power, turning fuel into electricity. Where CarGenerator is different is that it has a much larger gas tank, so 50-70 hours of runtime is possible instead of 5-8, and its only 16 pounds, because you are using your cars engine instead of one thats permanently coupled to a generator. Thanks to the superior emissions control systems of modern vehicle, CarGenerator is actually more environmentally-friendly as well.
General Guidelines On Charging Electric Vehicles Using A Generator
Apart from the Tesla car that has been used as example, some other vehicle models can also be charged using a generator. These include the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. Both of these can be charged fast using a gas powered generator. While doing these, use the same caveats regarding appropriate sine wave inverter, proper grounding and the right amperage adjustments.
Recommended Reading: Tesla Carbon Footprint Vs Gasoline Car
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell
The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell uses a 134-horsepower electric motor and a miniscule 0.9-kWh electric battery, relying on its fuel-cell stack to keep both supplied with power. The fuel-cell stack also has a maximum output of 134 horsepower, and can run for 265 miles on a 37-gallon tank of hydrogen. Unfortunately, the Tucson Fuel Cell is a bit on the slow side, taking 12.5 seconds to reach 60 mph, though top speed is a decent 100 mph. Like many of the fuel-cell-powered vehicles, the Tucson Fuel Cell is only available for lease and only in areas with adequate hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
The Pros And Cons Of Using A Generator
We sometimes forget how vital electricity is and how much we rely on it since it has become a frequent part of our daily lives, both at home and with the next generation of vehicles.
Only when power outages occur due to inclement weather do we understand how important it is to have a generator on hand to provide us with electrical energy. With that said, what are some pros and cons when using a generator?
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Dont Charge On The Road
If you use a Generac IQ2000 generator, you should be able to get about 12-18 miles per gallon, measuring gasoline value. Can you, however, use the generator while on the road in order to extend the drive time? This might be enticing. It is, however, not safe.
When driving a vehicle like the Tesla, cited above, this would be a breach of warranty since the manufacturers explicitly warn against charging the car using a generator. Otherwise, you would have to make some huge modifications to the car. Both of these options are neither viable nor advisable.
Remember that every generator needs regular maintenance. Unless you do this, the machine will refuse to start the next time you need to use it. If you purchase a generator simply to charge your car, it is likely to have maintenance issues since emergencies do not occur every day. It can take long before you use the generator. This can lead to possible problems when starting the machine in future.
How Long Would It Take A Generator To Charge An Electric Car
Because most generators will only be able to provide a Level 1 charge, its most likely that a full charge will take somewhere between ten and twenty hours.
Again, the exact time will depend on the type of vehicle and generator, as well as the total amount of power that can be produced.
Practically speaking, this means that the vehicle will most likely need to charge overnight.
A commercial generator will provide enough charge to allow you to use the car in the local area, but the odds of depending on it for a long road trip will be fairly low unless there are other charging stations available.
The long charging time means that this is not a particularly great option if you need to have the vehicle ready to evacuate from an area.
If you have some warning before an emergency, take steps to keep the vehicle fully charged until you lose power, and start charging the car immediately after you take it on any type of trip in order to keep its maximum range.
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How To Recharge Any Electric Car Anywhere Any Time
With charging stations still scarce in many areas, “range anxiety” is a continual concern for electric-car owners.
Portable generators can provide electricity where this is no infrastructure, so could one rescue a stranded electric car?
GadgetReview decided to try with a 2014 BMW i3, both for the sake of convenience and as a cheaper alternative to the range-extended i3 REx, which costs nearly $4,000 more than the all-electric model.
For a recent video on the BMW plug-in car, GadgetReview rented a generator at Home Depot, attached the i3’s charge cord, and left to see if this improvised method could recover any range.
Sure enough, after a half hour of charging in a parking lot, the i3 had gained four miles of range.
2014 BMW i3, 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show
However, that’s not the only thing the testers tried.
Seeing that the generator could charge the i3, they loaded it into the back of the car to see if it would work as a low-buck range extender.
The charge cord was threaded through one of the car’s windows, along with a hose to funnel exhaust out of the cabin.
Solar Power Is Clean Power
Another critical benefit of charging with solar rather than grid power is carbon emissions. Although hydroelectric power is way cleaner than gasoline, producing grid power utilizes a significant amount of carbon fuels.
According to the US Energy Administration, 450 gallons of gas produce a staggering 8,820 lbs. of CO2 emissions. This is what electric cars seek to fix. Unfortunately, EVs indirectly generate 1,531 lbs. of CO2 when they draw 3,780 kWh of electricity from the grid.
Solar power generators also produce greenhouse emissions. However, the figure is much smaller than electric charging. Statistics show that producing 3,780 kWh of power using solar panels produces 368 lbs. of CO2 emissions.
Also Check: How Do I Charge My Electric Car At Home
Californians Told Not To Charge Electric Cars Days After Gas Car Sales Ban
Californians may need to take measures to conserve energy, including by avoiding charging electric vehicles, to prevent strain to the state’s power grid over the Labor Day weekend, officials saida week after state regulators voted on a plan to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars.
The new policy, approved by the California Air Resources Board, will require all new cars sold in California to be free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 as part of an effort to fight climate change.
But with a heat wave forecast for the coming days, California’s grid operator on Tuesday warned that the excessive heat would stress the energy grid and conservation may be needed over the holiday weekend to avert power outages.
The California Independent System Operator said it issued an order restricting maintenance operations from August 31 through September 6 to ensure that all generators and transmission lines are in service.
In a news release, the California ISO said it expects that it will issue calls for voluntary conservation of electricity through Flex alerts over the long weekend.
“During a Flex Alert, consumers are urged to reduce energy use from 4-9 p.m. when the system is most stressed because demand for electricity remains high and there is less solar energy available,” the release said.
“Lowering electricity use during that time will ease strain on the system, and prevent more drastic measures, including rotating power outages,” it added.
How Fast Does A Generator Charge Your Ev
In EV terms, using a standard level 1 charging system means that your electric car is charging from at least a 120v outlet . Therefore a typical smart EV would allow roughly 15 amps at a rate of 1.7Kw.
The standard smart electric car battery has a 17Kw/h battery, which means from empty to full, a 120v generator would take 10 hours to charge the battery completely.
A Tesla, on the other hand, has a much bigger battery and a relatively more sophisticated computer charging system. Its advanced tech helps to ensure a more clean sign wave, ensuring that the generator is grounded, and as a result, much more is required for the Tesla to charge.
One of the major perks that the Tesla models have, in terms of charging, is adjusting the amps from 5 amps to a maximum of 16amps. On level 1, the Tesla would take 1.8kw charging at 16amps. However, unlike the smart car with a 17kw/h, the Tesla has a whopping 100kw/h battery.
So, the maths behind that would be that 100kw divided by 1.8Kw equals 55.5 hours as the time to charge the battery from zero to hero fully.
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Can Electric Cars Be Charged With A Generator
With electric cars becoming more popular, people who are interested in buying one are asking if they can be charged from a generator.
While this might not be the most efficient option, it is a possibility in the case of an emergency.
It is important, however, that electric car owners know how to charge their vehicle off a generator.
Is Up To 1000 Watts Enough
1000 watts is not a lot, however consider the following:
– To run your your gas or oil furnace and heat your entire house, only requires between 200-300 watts on average.
– To run a fridge only requires 200-300 watts typically
– The number one identified problem with gas generator is.? F.T.S. = Fail to start. CarGenerator is always ready.
– Keeping a good supply of gas cans stored, and keeping them all fresh every few months, is a nuisance and a fire safety hazard.
– If you need lots of backup power for all your house appliances and big draw items like a hot tub, wine cellar, Air Conditioning, or if you often need backup power, then youre better off with a traditional gas generator.
– If your need for backup power is occasional and modest, then a CarGenerator is a better choice.
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Ac Propulsion Tzero With Long Ranger
The AC Propulsion tzero was an all-electric sports car powered by lead-acid batteries. It was launched in 1997 and produced in very limited numbers. Powered by a 200-horsepower electric motor, the tzero scoots to 60 mph in only 4 seconds, though top speed is linited to 90 mph by the single-speed transmission. As weve seen, built-in range extenders are heavy, and need to carried around even when they arent needed. AC Propulsions solution to this problem was a removable trailer called the Long Ranger that included a 500cc engine capable of producing enough power to maintain highway speeds while producing fuel economy numbers of over 30 mpg.
How To Charge Your Electric Car With A Portable Generator
You have now determined that you have an inverter generator with stable energy and clean pure sine wave. It is ready. You have checked the grounding and found that it is all right. Now, you need to know exactly how to charge your electric vehicle using the generator.
The first thing you should be aware of is the amount of charge needed. Always start with the lowest possible charge rate. Gradually adjust this to about 28-30amps. This is good because it prevents overloading and protects the motor. Remember to adjust the amperage down before you try plugging in the generator.
Recommended Reading: Tesla Charging Stations For Home
What About An Ev Truck Towing A Trailer
Well, the numbers will be much worse for that situation. In that case, youll likely have a 150 kWh battery and a reduced towing range of perhaps 200 miles. So, even if you put a 7,000-watt generator in the bed of the truck, my numbers show it would take perhaps two times as long to restore half the mileage range. Not a great option.
Generac Iq2000 Generator A Powerful Beast To Charge Your Car
One of the most highly recommended generators for charging electric cars is the Generac IQ2000 generator. Apart from being one of the quietest in the market, it has good gas consumption rating and powerful capacity. It has a rating of 3.3 amps at 120 volts. It has a maximum AC output of 2000w starting and a fuel capacity of 1.06 gallon. It can run for 9 continuous hours on this fuel, carrying a load of 500w. Using it, you are able to power multiple devices beside the exciting ability to successfully charge your electric car when necessary.
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Rvelectricity: Can I Put A Generator In The Back Of My Ev To Charge It While Driving
Dear Readers,My article last week on the range of electric vehicles while towing had a few interesting comments and questions. In fact, I get direct emails every week with the same basic question: Can I run a small generator in the back of my EV truck to help recharge it while driving or towing a trailer?
UPDATE: Read Part 2 of this article where I answer more of your questions and discuss charging EV possibilities. ClickHERE
