Prius as a backup generator help

There's this whole meta-thread, filled with links out to other threads for about every different generation of Prius where anybody's done it. Maybe you've already looked at those? I'm not sure where you're likely to find more than that.

 

Not much of a mainline market for a 200 volt dc in to 120 volt ac out inverter much less 220 volt ac out. Lots of chatter about it in the last 14 years on this site some have come along but......

Seen many old scientific ones on ebay but very old. I would not use my hybrid battery as a test bed.

 

Not only is a very small aftermarket demand, but there are a couple of new cars coming out that can backfeed power - weather for a work-related use or emergency power. That will certainly take away from the already small niche folks making aftermarket kits.

 

@hill

So you think people will spend more buying a new car just to get emergency power versus buying a plugout kit from plugoutpower.com and using their hybrid they already have?

 

No, I think the market is so small that there will be one or two people wanting to use their hybrid car as an emergency power source. The rest will just buy a small portable generator.

 

@Maarten28

The established hybrid market is so small?
Only one or two people would use their hybrid?

I think you have it the other way around, one or two people will buy into this new hybrid market with power generators.

 

I suspect Maarten meant the market for plug-out style add-ons to hybrids that don't come with them.

I have nothing against Randy's products, I'm glad they're out there, and I'm sure he is pricing them however he has to so the numbers work out; they just come out high enough to make the decision not super easy. I mean, yes, they're less money than a newer car. But if a newer car is anything you might be thinking about ... or if a standalone generator is anything you might be thinking about, then I'm guessing a lot of people who might snap up the plug-out if it were priced, say, in the hundreds, would look at the price in the low thousands and think "but there could be other advantages to having the newer car ... or other advantages to the standalone generator that can still power my house when I'm using the car." The price is enough to sort of dampen the impulsive-purchase effect and kind of make you think through all the angles.

 

There are a lot of reasons to use your hybrid versus buying even a stand alone generator, for one we know the prius engine is built to save fuel, second it will not be as loud and constantly running because of the hybrid system design.

Third, the gas tank in a hybrid is bigger than a generators so you have more time between refills.

I hear you have to maintain common genrators even when you do not use them otherwise they will not work.

That wont happen since your already using your prius.
The hybrid will always be ready, just put her in ready.

Last but not least, you wont have to buy another car and sell the hybrid you are ditching.
Then apply for a loan and start making payments again.
Not to mention higher insurance rates on that new car.

Yea, I guess I will be one of the two smart ones that buys a plugout kit from plugoutpower.com and then save even more money by using a promo code 7373

 

I said "one or two people wanting to use their hybrid car as an emergency power source". No idea why you think I am saying the hybrid market is small or only one or two people would use their hybrid.
And my comment was against your assertion that people would buy a new car just to to get emergency power. I think most people will just buy a generator.