Using a generator to recharge your EV?
by Jason Cutchins
(Chicago IL USA)
The Little Generator that Could (recharge an EV)
Has anybody tried applying a regular home generator with a rectifier for use in DC conversions? I would imagine the use of a generator would greatly increase range.
Although it is not fully electric, I know my generator can run for 15 hours on 3 gallons of gas to power my whole house in a blackout.
It really wouldn't need to run constantly either, only when the voltage reached a certain level, then it would turn on, charge up and shut off. Another option would be mounting some type of generator with a wheel that rolls on the ground similar to a ram air turbine used in aircraft for emergency power generation. Only difference is it would be a road driven generator.
Hi, Jason!
Yes, this has certainly been done. And it works. Trouble is, generators are really bad polluters! Much worse than a comparable-sized car engine. Why? Because they can be; ) There are no regulations on them like there are on cars.
So, are you going to use it just a little, like you do at home when you have a blackout, when you actually NEED to go more than 35 miles or so without charging up (most of the time, we don't really NEED the range we think we do. We just need to alter our gas-guzzler habits to fit our new EV lifestyle), or is your generator going to be the constant companion of the batteries?
If you'll be recharging constantly, you'd be better off using a small surplus car engine to generate your electricity.
Regards,
Lynne
P.S. Read more about fake hybrids here.