Use your car as a backup power generator

Shockingly Easy Way To Generate Backup Power.

See why leading automakers like Ford are building this feature in the new Ford F150, and how it helped thousands of families during power outage.

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See how it works

Did You Know?

NEW 2021 VEHICLES HAVE BUILT IN GENERATORS

Some vehicles already have an inverter built in that you can plug your laptop into, but its only 100 watts, not enough to power things like your home gas furnace. Some new vehicles have larger inverters built in like Ford F150 ProPower 2000watt which idles the engine 85 hours on a tank, or the 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and also the Sienna minivan has a 1500 watt inverter built in. FORD wants you to buy a new $80,000 truck with a built in 2000 watt inverter generator. CarGenerator lets you use the vehicle you already own, and create a good power solution for 1% of that cost, starting at just $795.

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Image source: Motortrend

Next time your home power goes out, these are the traditional ways to get backup power

WHOLE HOUSE BACKUP GENERATOR

Pros: instant switchover within seconds, all lights appliances etc run, unlimited runtime if connected to your gas line supply.

Cons: Yearly maint fee between $300 $400, high cost of initial install $10k plus permitting, construction running gas lines etc

BATTERY PACK OR TESLA POWERWALL

Pros: Silent, no fumes, easy storage, eco friendly.

Cons: limited capacity. Whether it’s a battery jumper pack or a Tesla Powerwall, once you start using power, watch your battery meter constantly drop and eventually you run out of power.

PORTABLE GAS GENERATOR

Pros: quick and easy to buy from any local hardware store home depot, can power many items in your house

Cons: reliability is a major issue. Unless you maintain these perfectly and test and use them regularly, they may not start when you most need. Also storing large cans of gas in your garage or garden shed is a fire and explosion hazard, and they need to be stabilized for long term storage and kept fresh. Noisy and Smelly also...

YOUR NEW SMART CHOICE: YOUR VEHICLE AS A GENERATOR

You can keep your whole house warm for 50-70 hours powering your gas furnace, oil boiler, or run your fridge and internet or TV – using the car right there in your driveway. Safely and easily, without the hassles of maintaining a gas generator and hoping it will start when you need it most, and storing dangerous gas cans etc. WHATS THE UPSIDE? ultralight 11 pounds, very reliable if your vehicle starts you have power, quiet, clean, eco friendly less emissions than portable gas generators, works with gas/diesel/pure electric and hybrids. Powers home essentials only like furnace, fridge, freezer. Runtime 50-70 hours on a typical vehicle gas tank. WHATS THE DOWNSIDE? cannot power everything in your house all at once, and cannot power large loads like Air Conditioning, electric furnace, stove, hot tub, etc. If your power goes out several times per month or you need to power large items in your house like hot tubs, washer/dryer, etc then CarGenerator is not for you, your only option is a regular traditional gas generator.

Hi, I am Jonathan Schloo. Let me show you how CarGenerator customers Barb and Bruce run their house furnace easily from their family mini van.

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Why Your Vehicle Is Better For Backup Power, Instead Of A Traditional Gas Generator?

Lightweight and Convenient

Starting at just 9 pounds, this tiny device hooks up in a minute, and powers your home for days.

Longer Runtime

You get 50-70 hours of runtime from your car gas tank, versus refilling a small gas generator tank every 4-6 hours.

Environmentally Superior

Gas generators are known to be loud and smelly for a reason, they have almost no emissions control or filters.

Electric / Hybrid cars

Electric / Hybrid cars work great with CarGenerator, and in the case of a pure electric vehicle you use no gasoline at all.

Less Gas

Surprise! Running a compact sedan at idle uses less gasoline than running a generator. Honda 1000watt generator .19 gal/hr, compact sedan 2 litre engine .16 gal/hr Source: energy.gov

Ultra-Reliable & Hassle Free

Ready when you need it. If your car starts you have power. Hassle Free no maintenance or oil changes, ever.

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WHATS OUR SECRET INGREDIENT?

Today I’m going to share a secret with you about how you can get backup power for your house to keep your family safe and warm for days, during your next blackout. Up till now this knowledge has been the exclusive secret domain of “techies” and car mechanic Youtube DIY types. What’s the secret you ask? An Inverter. This device converts the 12volt power from your vehicle, into 110/120 volt standard household AC power. You can use this to run your home gas furnace, fridge, sump pump, lights, computers and internet or TV.

CAN I JUST HOOKUP ANY BASIC INVERTER?

You can buy our DIY smart inverter only for $295

Our DRY USE ONLY CarGenerator model is $460 this is great for a sunny day or good weather situations.

Our flagship ALLWEATHER MODEL is $795. This is a turn-key solution, fully weatherproof, you can use in any kind of storm, rain, snow, ice, with custom heatproof integrated cables. It actually costs even less if you think about it, $615 plus $180 of bonus accessories = $795. This includes our $180 bonus package of furnace plug kit, AC power watt meter, 3 year extended warranty, and free shipping.

QUESTIONS AND THE NAYSAYERS…..

IDLING CARS AND OLD WIVES TALES One of the most common objections, is it bad to idle your vehicle for an extended time? Sorry nope, that’s an old wives’ tale... in fact millions of vehicles idle every day, not only police cars, taxis, etc but also regular ordinary folks waiting to pickup the kids from soccer, waiting at the airport, stuck in traffic and more. For the 10-20 hours per year you might need to use your vehicle as a generator, is not even a drop in the bucket to the hundreds of hours you already idle every year. Prove it to yourself... get a vehicle scanner and run it on your own personal vehicle, and see how many "idle hours" are already on the engine clock. Even sitting at a stop light you will notice your idle hours are ticking up.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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 it’s only 16 pounds, because you are using your car’s engine instead of one that’s permanently coupled to a generator. Thanks to the superior emissions control systems of modern vehicle, CarGenerator is actually more environmentally-friendly as well.

Will I run out of gas?

A typical vehicle can provide power for 50+ hours up to 80+ hours on a tank. Compare this to a typical portable gas generator that needs attention every 4-5 hours because of its tiny little gas tank.

Will it drain my battery?

Nope. Not even one tiny bit… Once your motor is running, your battery isn’t even necessary in the equation (true fact, ask your mechanic). Power for the car’s electrical system (or your house or RV) actually comes from the alternator. Batteries are there just to start the car and get the motor running, so your battery won’t even notice CarGenerator being attached.

ISN’T IT BAD TO IDLE A CAR FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME?

Nope, not unless you were planning on hooking up CarGenerator to a ’59 Studebaker. Modern cars are designed to handle all kinds of operating conditions, and at idle, the car’s computer makes sure its engine is adequately cooled and lubricated. Police vehicles and ambulances are typically idled all the time, and usually enter their second service lives at 100,000+ miles. If you need CarGenerator more than a handful of times per year, you’d likely be better off with a natural-gas-powered, hard-wired permanent generator at a cost of $5,000+ dollars. For everyone else, rest assured that your car is operating well within its design limits.

WILL SOMEONE STEAL MY CAR?

Nope. Not a chance…. Once you start your engine, just lock your doors with a spare key (see our instruction manual), and depending on your location you can put a steering wheel lock on for additional protection (about $12 at Wal-Mart) which makes it almost impossible to steal the vehicle. If you’re still worried, or you live in a neighborhood with a lot of chalk outlines on the sidewalk, CarGenerator can supply you with a wheel boot, to make theft impossible without a trailer or an angle grinder. If a thief brings a trailer to steal your car, it won’t matter if the key is in it or not. If they bring an angle grinder, you will definitely hear them, and should probably call the police. In any event you would know immediately because your power would go out!

Why not just buy a regular gas generator?

Three words: Reliable. Ultralight. Run-time.

RELIABLE – the #1 problem with traditional generators? F.T.S. – fail to start. When you need it most they don’t start up because of old gas or no maintenance. If your car starts, you have power.

ULTRALIGHT – CarGenerator is just 16 pounds, versus typical generators that are 60 – 160 pound beasts.

RUN-TIME – CarGenerator has a run-time of 50-80+ hours, where typical generators need to be refilled every 4-5 hours.

What about the environment?

Its actually more environmentally friendly because typical vehicles already have thousands of dollars worth of emissions controls systems in place; computers, oxygen sensors, and catalytic converters. In some cities, a ULEV (like a Toyota Prius) actually puts out less pollution than there is in the ambient air! Gross, right? A standard generator is basically a glorified lawn mower, with no emissions equipment at all!

Why not just get a cheap inverter then?

Totally an option. If you want to jerry-rig an inverter in a waterproof container, you certainly could, but if you want to plug in any sensitive electronics (like your furnace, laptop, or medical device) you’ll need pure-sine wave power to avoid damage and ensure good performance. A 1000 watt, pure sine wave inverter can be purchased from Walmart for about $400. Then you need a set of heat-proof booster cables for prolonged use under the hood (about $100), and finally, you need a weather-proof housing that also allows for ventilation. If you’re an industrious, DIY-er who loves saving money above all else, you could definitely build your own CarGenerator; you’ll save about $150, providing your time isn’t worth anything. For the rest of us, who value our time and want an easy, proven solution, CarGenerator is simply the best possible option for worry-free, temporary power.

Is up to 1000 watts enough?

1000 watts is not a lot, however consider the following:

- To run 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 you’re 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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Customers Reviews

CarGenerator is a wonderful device. I had thought of purchasing a whole house generator (significant cost, space issues, _might_ never use it) or a portable gas-powered generator (noisy, fuel storage danger, constant refilling, might not work when needed), but didn't like either solution. Finally started thinking, "Gee, my car has gas, is safe and quiet, runs for hours and hours; there must be a way to use it as a house generator." The Internet immediately revealed CarGenerator.com.
We got ours installed this past week with the home integration kit, and it works like a charm! So easy. Idle the car outside the garage, plug the generator into the house, visit our electric panel, flip one or more transfer switches, and our furnace, fridge, freezer, and/or sump pump is seamlessly running off the CarGenerator. Beautiful!
Finally, the company offers good old-fashioned warm and personal customer service. I post reviews only when I'm absolutely delighted with a product/service; only 4 in 3 years. CarGenerator makes it 5. I'm delighted to recommend CarGenerator to anyone considering an easy, compact, high-quality solution to intermittent power loss at home.
Tom Loveland

Jonathan spent time helping me installing a cool adapter and then we tested it all out. I was able to heat my house and run my furnace with this really cool device – plugged in to the my car battery. It’s so cool and I’m so impressed. Jonathan, you’ve got an amazing invention here. I look forward to seeing you again soon and enjoying some fine wine.
Kevin Howey

I have had a CarGenerator since before Christmas. Thankfully I haven't had to use it.
But I really wish we had it back in the ice storm of 2013, when my sister's power was out during Christmas day and into the evening.
A BBQ saved the day for the turkey, but if we'd had a CarGenerator at the time, we would have been able to have heat and light as well.
My favourite part of it is the fact I can keep it in my car's trunk, ready to use it in any weather if and when I need it. I was going to buy a full-on gasoline generator, but storing that would have been a royal pain as I don't have much room in my garage to begin with.
Also, I can't easily schlep a gas generator around, if it's needed somewhere else.
The CarGenerator literally goes where I go. I'm going to take it with me on car camping trips, as it's very handy for providing clean 110V for my laptop, etc.
I've tested it with my new furnace (DC variable speed motor, peaking at about 200W), and it works perfectly, with wattage to spare. It requires the installation of a 110 volt outlet, which is straightforward, but an electrician can help you if this is something you aren't confident doing.
Great for wherever/whenever you need power in a pinch. It's a great little device and very useful!
Jason Goodburn-Moffitt

My wife and I picked up a Car Generator from Jonathan in order to give us some peace of mind at the cottage. Power outages are more frequent and in the winter it can be quite cold. Definitely would not be fun in an extended power outage. Jonathan came up to the cottage and helped us install an adaptor for the furnace so we could still power it from the Car Generator during a power outage. It will also run our fridge when power goes out in the summertime. Worked like a charm and now we have peace of mind if we are up there that we can still keep everyone safe and warm.
Paul Van Der Zanden

We are now the happy owners of a CarGenerator which has to be one of the most impressive inventions I've seen in a long while. Jonathan delivered our unit on Monday and provided us with a demonstration of how the unit would keep our furnace and fridge running in a power outage. My husband turned on his 2010 Dodge van and the furnace, attached to the van via the CarGenerator and a 100 foot extension cord from COSTCO, started up. AMAZING!!! The unit is lightweight, compact, takes up no room. And no diesel fuel to store. So clever. It will save us during the next power outage - kinda' looking forward to one just to see it work!
Barbara Willitts

I bought one and my friend Jonathan Schloo came over to my house and hooked up a prototype, easily done by someone comfortable with a little bit of DIY. It works great, I had the furnace hooked up with plenty of power to spare so we also added the refrigerator too, still with enough power to charge phones and laptops, and run my wifi.
Next time there is an ice storm, which is very likely in this area in the few years as we move into an El Nino cycle, I will be toasty warm with all my modcons.
David Black

Jonathan is a genius and is sharing his invention with the world. We get many power outages here in Vaughan, winter and summer. It sucks! But not anymore! Jonathan’s invention has changed all that! This power pack goes were you go – cottage, home, camping.
Danielle Soullierre Sinclair

Exceptional, well-designed product. We're excited about the potential this holds. Great job!
Jeremy Swampillai

We first heard about CarGenerator from a friend and looked into it as the product sounded interesting. We think it's a terrific invention that really meets our needs. The CarGenerator can heat our house using either of our vehicles. Its compact design takes up less space than traditional generators and is light and portable to carry and hang from your vehicle. Jonathan is very knowledgeable, professional and down to earth friendly. We would recommend CarGenerator!!
Sandy Christeas

When the ice storm hit us this last winter, we took out our gasoline generator and… surprise it wouldn’t start. The gas was bad, battery dead and it would not start. I ordered this CarGenerator and jonathan the owner delivered it and also did a demo for me. He showed me how to hook it up. It ran my furnace, Fridge and Freezer without any issue. I am pleased with the product and recommend it!
Amazon Customer

I normally don't get blown away by many products but my friend Jonathan Schloo invented this amazing product that uses a something most of us already have - our car! He re-framed the car as 'power' and his invention can power up essentials in the event of a power outage. I watched in slack jawed fascination as my furnace and fridges were powered up by the car with house power off. Awesome! Wished I thought of it! Best of Luck on Dragon's Den October 4th on CBC. I love this thing!
David Andrew Smith

Received my Cargenerator last Friday and hooked it right up to my Ram 1500 . HAD TO DO A TEST RUN ! Plugged in my compressor and , tada , it fired right up ! Wired the furnace with the supplied kit and it’s ready to rock if and when we need it !
Great product and saved tons of money if I was to go the traditional route and get a gas powered generator ! Thanks Jon ....
Ernie Lansing

A few weeks ago Hurricane Dorian passed through NB Canada and luckily for us we had just purchased the Car Generator and were able to use it. Since it was the first time using it, we did need a few directives in starting it up but Jonathan was there to answer our call and easily walked us through it. Fridge scanned in at 161 kw and the Satellite TV at 262 kw and by using a power bar, were also able to charge our phones and whatever else needed to be charged. The best part of this is you can call the Company 7 days a week for assistance and Jonathan is right there to take your call. It is a life saver when you have no power and always have a vehicle in your driveway to hook up the generator.
Francine Caissie

Reviews

Outstanding service.

A great backup system especially in the event of a storm. I sold my gas generator after 15 years of maintenance and storage . No regrets.
I must speak about the owner of the company as Johnathon answered all questions relating to furnace installation which turned out to be basic.
Highly recommend this product as it will be to late when you are in the dark and cold.

Thanks

Rick F

I sold my gas generator

Works well

I have tested it on my two vehicles. Toyota Yaris has a pretty small alternator so I have to keep the load wattage rather low not drain the battery. Hyundai Santa Fe will output a lot more watts. How to determine that is all well documented in the instructions. The furnace plug kit with ESA technical note for code compliance reference was a nice addition.

Tried and true

Just to see how it worked I tried it with a heat gun. It would run it on low but on high it was too heavy of a draw. It would run a treble light no problem. I believe it will be good to have with a major Power outage

It works!

We were out of power for seven consecutive days. I decided to order the Car Generator 1000/2000 watts all weather bundle after three days and I received it two days later. Our last days without power were a breeze as we had the refrigerator, the internet router, our television and our computers all working on the battery of our Ford Edge. I had an issue on the second day and I called for assistance after dinner time on a Friday evening. I received the help I needed right away and resolved the issue minutes afterwards. Wow on the service! We'll have the rest of the kit installed by an electrician soon and will have our furnace ready to go the next time power is out. Car Generator really works! Thank you!!

Does what it says

It’s great, performs as advertised.

Perfect product to save the day

I own an Airstream travel trailer, so I always have the car with me. This is the perfect solution for those times you don't have shore power, and the weather does not charge the solar panels. Its the insurance policy, that you hope you don't need, but are thrilled to have if you do.

Awesome product

I actually sell critical power for Data Centers yet my own home was vulnerable to outage’s!!!! That has now changed and for the life of me I can not understand why it took me so long! With the crazy world we live in it’s not if but when our Utilities get cyber attacks and we lose power for hours or even days. Great product love the story thank you!

CarGen 1000/2000

I purchased this unit for emergency power for my travel trailer. Although I haven’t had to use it in an emergency situation, I have tested it. During testing with my trailer is performs well up to 1000W. However it doesn’t seem to provide 2000W for initial startup. The unit trips at about 1000W almost immediately upon reaching that demand. I expected several seconds of additional power on start up. The size and weight of the unit is great. And not having to store or transport gas is really nice. Overall, I think it will work for me.

Beats a gas generator

I plan on doing a lot of Boondocking in my travel trailer and don’t want to carry a generator any longer. Generator hours and no generator rules limit where we can camp but the CarGenerator has eliminated all those issues.

1000/2000 watt CarGenerator All Weather Pure Sine

A few superficial glitches, nothing to negate the quality of the product.

The CarGenerator performed for all purposes for which the purchase was intended. It came with minor superficial problems which were addressed by the seller in perfectly adequate fashion. I would recommend this product.

Excellent Product

I was really curious about CarGenerator when I first heard about it. I am both an RVer and a farm owner and there are occasions when I need power in remote places. I am fortunate to have a Toyota Tundra and this truck combined with the CarGenerator offer a great solution to my remote power needs.

The unit is light, compact, and attractive - well engineered in all aspects!

All ready for a cold Buffalo NY power outage

Received the device and immediately tried it out on my 2018 Honda Crv. Easy 2 minute install and I plugged in a cord into the house. Plugged in a light and it worked fine. I had to figure how to shut off all the car lights-no problem. Next step an electrician to for furnace connection.

9.5 Hour Test

Tested the Car Generator using my 2017 Subaru Outback for 9.5 hours. Ran the furnace flawlessly. The gasoline consumption was 0.182 gallons per hour a little better than expected. To keep the voltage above 12.3 and around 14.1, I found there are three ways: 1) headlights on dim, 2) fan speed set at one notch below maximum, or 3) using rear-defroster. For option 3 be sure it is set for "Continuously", the default is "15 minutes". To change the setting for the rear-defroster on the Audio Navigation System Display > Home > Settings > scroll right > Vehicle Customization > Defogger > select "Continuously". The value is automatically saved. Checked with a Subaru technician, and he recommended option 3 since less distracting than turning the headlights on and less mechanical wear-and-tear than running the fan. Jonathan Schloo provided prompt, excellent service. Very pleased with purchase.

Very Happy

What a great invention! Everything you need for an install is included and the self-contained unit is completely rain proof. I installed CarGenerator on my wife's car. I recently got to use it for an extended time. It rained heavy when the power went out and the unit ran flawlessly. I immediately added another Quick Connect Kit to my car, so it can be run from there too.

Future use…

Just received our CarGenerator and are looking forward to using it when we start camping in May. As older adults, we love the portability/easy access this unit brings.
We have periodic power outages, so are glad to have this ready to go!

Great device

needed for my truck camper when boondocking. I originally ordered the 1000 watt but found out I was under powered for what I have. with awesome help from the service department, i was able to figure out my needs and they help in returning the 1000 and upgraded to the 2000 which now work with my camper!

Excellent Service

Jonathan provided superb support. Does exactly what I wanted it to do. Highly recommend.

Brilliant!

Great service and product! Will write more after installed annd used. Thank you!

Good alternative to standby generator

Ever since the 2021 heat dome in B.C. resulted in record temperature of 47C, I'm sold on the idea of climate change. Although the Car Generator can't power an A.C. in an emergency but it comes in handy during winter. It is more than enough to power the furnace so you're pretty much covered for three seasons. Sure, a standby generator will cover everything but it's not suitable for everyone especially when properties are so close with each other like in Vancouver. The noise; air pollution and bylaw complaints are just too much hassle. Never mind the cost of having one setup.
The idea of hooking up your vehicle to your house as a power resource in an emergency is a brilliant idea. Every household already own part of a generator but not knowing how to connect the dot. This is where Car Generator shine and it definitely solved my backup generator need.

Excellent device; I just wish it could handle more.

I wish it could handle a small oven, or small heater. It handles the tvs and lights just fine.

Winter Special Offer: 1000/2000 watt CarGenerator All Weather + Home Integration Kit Bundle

Tested Car Generator

Hooked up Car Generator to charge my Lion Safari ME. Works great Safari ME was 89% and I charged to 100% in 5 minutes. Output Amps from 2020 Chevy 2500 HD was 13.9 amps. Love Product so far and looking forward to using it for future camping excursions.

Asking me to Review Something I Haven't Received Yet?

Little early to be asking for a review when I'm still waiting for delivery. Ask again in a week or two!

Received Product as delivered. Everything looks great. Packaging was fine. Have not installed product for use yet.