“So the engine can last longer with light use charging a battery.”
I think that was my point!
And my point, beyond the ludicrous and inefficient configuration overall, was that the life of the engine is very finite even in light use, even assuming proper maintenance (will the manufacturer recommend more flexible maint intervals based on hours x amps?), and could even suffer from too little use. We’e seen rubber and plastic parts go bad after a decade. Gaskets, belts, electrical connectors, other.