An unexpected source of power
I wonder if this tale from an ice storm in Harvard, Massachusetts will help Toyota move more hybrids:
John Sweeney, a member of the town’s conservation-minded Heat Advisory Committee, took a characteristically green approach to powering his home during the storm. He reported his achievement in an e-mail, saying it was no big deal, but that his wife thought it an impressive tale worth sharing: Sweeney ran his refrigerator, freezer, TV, woodstove fan, and several lights through his Prius, for three days, on roughly five gallons of gas.
“When it looked like we were going to be without power for awhile, I dug out an inverter (which takes 12v DC and creates 120v AC from it) and wired it into our Prius… These inverters are available for about $100 many places online,” he wrote.
The device allowed the engine to run every half hour, automatically charging the car battery and indirectly supplying the required power.
(Seen at AutoblogGreen.)
Dan B »
27 December 2008 · 4:14 pm
That would certain qualify as an extremely efficient generator, if the story is true. Note: don’t try this on a non-hybrid car, hybrids have a MUCH stronger electrical system than your typical grocery-getter.
CGHill »
27 December 2008 · 4:18 pm
Indeed. I’m wondering if anyone has tried this on a Tesla Roadster, which runs on the equivalent of 6,831 laptop batteries.