But with every other car, you either get a few hours until you run your 12-volt battery dead, or you get 8-12 hours because you run the car until you run out of gas.
The Prius can operate as a generator. It’s computers can turn the engine on and off as needed to charge the traction batteries, which then feed this power function. As it said, at 1.5 kw full load, it can run for about 48 hours before it runs out of gas.
It isn’t the most efficient generator — a generator would be the most efficient generator. But if you already own the car, it’s a free emergency generator that can power your home’s essential functions in a power failure situation.
Exactly. And I'm not so sure it doesn't have at least our generator beat. Our generator is louder than heck, the Prius is quiet, and you can't run smaller generators continuously. You run it to charge things up and cool/heat things up, then you have to let it, and your ear drums, rest.
It's not the only reason to buy the car, but it's an awesome feature.
Let them put me in the dark. I’ll start my 8000 watt generator, with the Briggs and Stratton 16 HP gasoline engine, and about 30 gallons of gas. I’m a child of the light and won’t be in the dark! I’ll save my Prius for driving.