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.

Explore CarGenerator

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.

Explore CarGenerator

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.

Explore CarGenerator

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.

Explore CarGenerator

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.

Explore CarGenerator

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.

Explore CarGenerator

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

2000/4000 Watt Cargenerator

It works as advertised. It is a great idea. For improvement, an 30 amp outlet on the car generator would be helpful. I want not to need to take my heavy gas generator around.

CarGenerator

This is a great generator. It was so easy to setup and works fantastic. It is lightweight and very compact. This generator does everything it is advertised to do. In my opinion, it’s the best generator out there.

Be patient

We have not been able to use it yet. Still stored

Dry generator works great~

I received this generator and promptly hooked it up to see how it works. Simple to use and efficient. Powered everything I tested out my Airstream. Can’t wait to get it out on the road where I really need it when boondocking at Harvest Hosts and the like. I’ll be the envy of others who have their large, heavy, noisy and gas using generators!!! I’m sure.

Exceptional, Ingenious Product

I was thinking about buying a Generac back up generator until I saw this. With few power losses here in Saskatchewan, I saved quite a bit of $$ by not buying a Generac. Plus, with it being portable, I can take it with us to the cabin at the lake!

Install Delayed

Was delivered on Feb15. Will have to delay my comment as have had to delay the install for personal reasons....spoke to Jonathan...will let you know as soon as it is unwrapped, installed and tested.

so far great. just a test

we just tested CarGenerator. worked great. easy easy. we plugged in lights and some power tools. thank you.

Personal support

I was very surprised when Johnathon actually offered to deliver the generator himself. He also asked questions as to why i ordered the 1500 w version when my vehicles could only provide output of 1000 w. He gave me a credit for the difference and showed me how to connect the product. I really like the product and the service was exceptional.

CarGenerator All Weather 1000w

Great idea, excellent product. Followed the instructions and had the furnace running in no time. Ready for the next power outage!

Happy customer

Excellent customer service. Patient and knowledgeable in answering all my questions. Looking forward to never needing the product, but relieved to know it’s there. Kind of like a fire extinguisher.

Good so far!

Ordered my CarGenerator and accessories on 11/28/20 and received on 12/14/20. The main unit is as expected. I was able to easily attach the unit to my vehicle and test the functions with my refrigerator and a lamp. I still need to have an electrician add the plug to my boiler. I am pleased with the build quality and the watt meter I added to the purchase. I also bought the furnace connect kit and although it contained the basic parts, I had to go out and buy additional needed parts to wire the box (wire nuts, screws, cable clamps, junction box & cover). I feel these should have been included. I also purchased the Bluetooth feature. The customer service at CarGenerator is top notch and once I interacted with them I was able to find & install the Apple app. This feature looks to be very useful and I would recommend it - so you know how many watts are being consumed by your appliances. I’m actually looking forward to our first power outage so that I could fully test the CarGenerator. I ended up buying three extension cords, a 25 foot and two 50 foot 12 gauge outdoor cords. Its worthwhile to measure in advance to see what your needs are. I’d suggest they offer extension cords as an add-on item. I’d also suggest that you have your furnace pre-wired for an extension cord intake so you are ready to go on day one - unless you can DIY.

The package is fine, I haven't got around installing the quick release cable

I didn't try the unit. I still have to find a way/someone to install the quick connect cable to the battery.

They are Christmas gifts and will be opened tomorrow. Very pleased with the delivery service.

Generator Review

Very slow delivery of product. Have not had time to connect generator and try it out. Hope to do so in January.

Must have item

This is a genius product which allows you to have a compact, quiet generator wherever you take your car.

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.

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

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.

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 ....

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!!