I am interested in having a backup generator so that I can top off my car if I have to leave the city (Boston) when power is out for any extended period of time. This might be a huge Blizzard, natural disaster, zombie apocalypse, etc. II live in the city and do not have a garage, so I'm unable to do normal overnight charging. the place I would go to if the city were in trouble is about 180 miles away so I would need to top off before I leave. I have seen videos from champion generators where they plug into a 9200 watt generator and it appears to be charging at about 20 miles per hour. That would be fine. Some people have said that it is not an inverter generator so that would not be advised. Apparently it could be bad for the electronics but it appears to work fine at least according to champion generators in their own video. I'm interested in something that is strong enough to charge basically full overnight and possibly even small enough to put in the back of my x 75d. I'm not interested in using the gas charger for anything else except when there is no electricity anywhere close to me or even in nearby superchargers. I know that there were some videos and discussions about using a small generac charger which has a true sine wave and a grounded plug. I'm assuming that any generator that has a nema 14-50 plug would work and if it was big enough it would be able to charge basically overnight. Does anyone have experience charging from a generator through a 240 volt plug? At the moment, I'm not looking to invest in a powerwall, so a small portable generator might be a good option for me. Please remember that I'm talking only about emergency backup in case of wide-scale electric unavailability.
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Emergency Charging
- Thread starter CampDirectorG
- Start date
Get a motorcycle or scooter for the situation you are describing. Even if you can top off the Tesla you aren’t making it out due to traffic.
If you’re intent on using the Tesla a generator is your only option. Nothing that is going to fit on the back.
If you’re intent on using the Tesla a generator is your only option. Nothing that is going to fit on the back.
You, of course will want to get a diesel or propane generator, as gasoline degrades will have to be refreshed periodically. You will need a decent amount of fuel, as it will take many hours to top it off with medium sized generators. You could do a whole house, and maybe power off of natural gas, or propane, or diesel.
And with any generator, you need to perform maintenance on it at least twice a year and preferably run it for 30 minutes every week. After all, you want it to be there when you need it.
And with any generator, you need to perform maintenance on it at least twice a year and preferably run it for 30 minutes every week. After all, you want it to be there when you need it.
In case of a major widespread disaster, it will probably be more difficult to get gas than to find electricity.
Here is an interesting read: "I shudder to think of evacuating in an electric car"- EVs in Disasters: Expectations Versus Reality
Here is an interesting read: "I shudder to think of evacuating in an electric car"- EVs in Disasters: Expectations Versus Reality
A good article, but I'm still considering needing to make a straight run 180 miles with no access to electricity. Here's something I was considering. Size-wise, it might actually fit in the back so I could take it with me out of town. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HVF3JG...olid=182EQOA1FR7MI&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it.
Toronto had what felt like an extended power outage this time last year, coinciding with a fire related incident at my building. My car was also basically dead, having just arrived back from Christmas travel. This shook me a little, realizing just how dependant I had become on the local grid for not only day to day life but also transportation. Being a former Scout -- Be Prepared! -- it crossed my mind that I was not. I barely had enough power to limp up to the Lawrence Ave Supercharger, let alone escape beyond the city limits.
Of course the power came back hours later, and the outage was contained to about the 5km radius. I would have had lots of juice to get further if I really needed to. Toronto, like Boston, has many Superchargers drawing a ring around the metro area. None of these suffered outages. And for any that would have gone dark, they'd come back soon enough. This is the reality of the power grid -- it's extremely resilient, and serviceable.
Living in Boston, or Toronto, the chance you'd ever need to rely on a generator for emergency transportation needs is effectively zero. You're better off preparing by having a few gallons of potable water, some non-perishable provisions, and first aid supplies. No need to go full on prepper either.
Of course the power came back hours later, and the outage was contained to about the 5km radius. I would have had lots of juice to get further if I really needed to. Toronto, like Boston, has many Superchargers drawing a ring around the metro area. None of these suffered outages. And for any that would have gone dark, they'd come back soon enough. This is the reality of the power grid -- it's extremely resilient, and serviceable.
Living in Boston, or Toronto, the chance you'd ever need to rely on a generator for emergency transportation needs is effectively zero. You're better off preparing by having a few gallons of potable water, some non-perishable provisions, and first aid supplies. No need to go full on prepper either.
I don't know, but Champion put this out there...
. As far as I know this is just a regular generator, not an inverter. Also, no offense intended to rypalmer, (your point is well made) but I don't really want to discuss whether it's logical or not to want emergency power. I'm just wondering about how I could do it if I wanted to. I read that generators need to have a clean sine wave output so that the cars charger will accept them and possibly that it could damage the electronics, but I don't know much about either of those issues.
This one has pure sine wave technology with less than 5% THD. A-iPower SUA10000EC 10000-Watt Portable Generator W/Electric Start CARB Complied, Red & Gary https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KXNMT2N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3rBnCbEHQ5V1W
I certainly sympathize as I still vividly recall the "day" trip I took to Boston on Feb 6, 1978 for a job interview wearing nothing but a sport jacket and with $20 in my pocket.
But that aside, my first comment is that you do not have a garage and that leads to the question "Where will you do the charging?" I haven't been to Bean Town in many years but I do know what would happen if you left a generator out on the street over night in the DC metro area.
My second comment is with respect to the potable charging connector. It will not allow the vehicle to draw current unless it measures 120 VAC between the phase(s) and the earthing wire (not the neutral). This is to insure that the car is safely grounded (which it won't be with a generator unless you connect the generator frame to a good ground such as a metallic water pipe or a ground rod). In the outlets on the generators the earth and neutral may be isolated so you may need to kluge up an adapter that shorts earth and neutral. Whether or not your generator bonds these two pins or not gets into the arcana of whether it will be exclusively used as a "separately derived system" connected to a transfer switch feeding the house. Apparently the Champion has these two pins bonded but not all generators do.
Third, the OBC is clearly a switching power supply and therefore couldn't care less about the harmonic content of the waveform it is presented. The electronics in the car are fed from a 12 Volt battery charged from the battery pack so you don't have to worry charger input waveform harmonics reaching them. Besides that non inverting generators have better (much better) waveforms than those that use square wave or modified square wave inverters. So any generator should work.
But that aside, my first comment is that you do not have a garage and that leads to the question "Where will you do the charging?" I haven't been to Bean Town in many years but I do know what would happen if you left a generator out on the street over night in the DC metro area.
My second comment is with respect to the potable charging connector. It will not allow the vehicle to draw current unless it measures 120 VAC between the phase(s) and the earthing wire (not the neutral). This is to insure that the car is safely grounded (which it won't be with a generator unless you connect the generator frame to a good ground such as a metallic water pipe or a ground rod). In the outlets on the generators the earth and neutral may be isolated so you may need to kluge up an adapter that shorts earth and neutral. Whether or not your generator bonds these two pins or not gets into the arcana of whether it will be exclusively used as a "separately derived system" connected to a transfer switch feeding the house. Apparently the Champion has these two pins bonded but not all generators do.
Third, the OBC is clearly a switching power supply and therefore couldn't care less about the harmonic content of the waveform it is presented. The electronics in the car are fed from a 12 Volt battery charged from the battery pack so you don't have to worry charger input waveform harmonics reaching them. Besides that non inverting generators have better (much better) waveforms than those that use square wave or modified square wave inverters. So any generator should work.
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NeverFollow
Active Member
Why not using solar panels? Yes, may be slow but should work...
Driving to the South Pole in a solar powered electric vehicle made of 3D printed garbage
Driving to the South Pole in a solar powered electric vehicle made of 3D printed garbage
If you were a good sailor, this could almost qualify as a sailboat.Why not using solar panels? Yes, may be slow but should work...
Driving to the South Pole in a solar powered electric vehicle made of 3D printed garbage
I have a generator I got in 1999 for Y2K, when all the computers were going to be down, and we would be without power for days if not weeks. I think I have used it once, and not in the last 12 years. Someday, I need to take it to the local generator shop and have them service it. I am sure the gas has turned to jelly by now.
Every power outage (maybe 12) since I got the generator has lasted no more than 12 hours. Well within my tolerance versus hassle parameters. All in all, the generator was not the wisest purchase I every made.
Every power outage (maybe 12) since I got the generator has lasted no more than 12 hours. Well within my tolerance versus hassle parameters. All in all, the generator was not the wisest purchase I every made.
Silicon Desert
Well-Known Member
It's a interesting topic. Kind of ironic isn't it that sometimes we still can't seem to get away from oil. ie using gas to charge an electric car 
Yes, yes I know you are talking about an emergency situation. It just caught my attention.
Yes, yes I know you are talking about an emergency situation. It just caught my attention.You could always install a Wall and charge from that in a power outage (even during a blizzard). Or install a whole house generator. Most of them run on propane - still a fossil fuel.
Silicon Desert
Well-Known Member
Good thought. I have a whole house generator for emergencies and sure came in handy a few times in recent years. If you are talking about the "power wall", that might be next to useless since they are just 13 kWh peak. So if you have a 100KWh car, it wouldn't get much of a charge with just one power wall even if it were fully charged and not powering anything else in the home.
If you combine solar with some Powerwalls, you could live off the grid indefinitely in an emergency.
Silicon Desert
Well-Known Member
yup, sure can. For me I wasn't willing to pay the cost of powerwalls for that ability.
Solar was good enough.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
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