# Generators onboard?

**URL:** <https://community.electricforum.com/t/generators-onboard/4840>\
**Category:** Do It Yourself (DIY)\
**Created:** [March 14, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/generators-onboard/4840 "2015-03-14T04:10:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pengyou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b2d939/32.png) [@pengyou](https://community.electricforum.com/u/pengyou)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/generators-onboard/4840/1 "2015-03-14T04:10:57Z")

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Has anyone worked with installing an electric motor on a “big” vehicle and then installed a smaller motor hooked up to a generator? There are some really sweet CARB acceptable (I think) 4 cylinder diesels coming out now that get 40+ mpg. If one of these were hooked up to a generator and gave me 20+ mpg in a full sized van I would be reasonably happy - 23-25 mpg would make me ecstatic (yes, I am boring 😃 ). Batteries would be kept to a minimum - perhap reserve power to pass on the freeway or enough to power the vehicle for 10 minutes (hydrid) while putzing around town.

Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![Old\_Houseboater](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/old_houseboater/32/544_2.png) [@Old\_Houseboater](https://community.electricforum.com/u/Old_Houseboater)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 8:45am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/generators-onboard/4840/2 "2015-03-14T08:45:34Z")

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Pruis and Volt come to mind.

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**Author:** ![rayhaque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@rayhaque](https://community.electricforum.com/u/rayhaque)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 7:12am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/generators-onboard/4840/3 "2015-03-16T07:12:15Z")

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> [@pengyou;23917](#):
>
> Has anyone worked with installing an electric motor on a “big” vehicle and then installed a smaller motor hooked up to a generator?

I am assuming that the smaller motor would have it’s own fuel source? Not sure that this would be all that productive on something already designed as a hybrid. I have looked at small generators for all electric cars. They don’t seem to be all that expensive or complicated. But the wattage is typically pretty low and I can’t expect that they charge fast enough to be worthwhile.

Here is a 3000watt one, straight outta’ China (I am using this as an example because the pictures are decent).

[3000 watt range extender - Taobao Depot, Taobao Agent](http://www.taobaodepot.com/item/42913193530)

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**Author:** ![Old\_Houseboater](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.electricforum.com/old_houseboater/32/544_2.png) [@Old\_Houseboater](https://community.electricforum.com/u/Old_Houseboater)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://community.electricforum.com/t/generators-onboard/4840/4 "2015-03-16T11:35:36Z")

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You would need a 2000 wat minimum inverter generator $400-$600 on Ebay.A Zivan charger WILL work with this type of charger. A typical stock cart will use +/- 50 amps cruising. The Generator Zivan will produce 10 solid amps. You can do the math on that to see if it will give you what you want. The Batteries will be prime , the generator will be the replacement. If you have short trips with a loot of stops this could be viable.

If not ypu might as well buy a gas cart.