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Here’s How a New Jersey Man Used the Gas in His Prius to Power His House for a Week

Nov. 12, 2012 8:30pm Liz Klimas

Bob Sakala’s power might have only come back on last Thursday, but the New Jersey man wasn’t in the dark like many of his neighbors impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

How’d he do it? Sakala jerry-rigged his hybrid car to provide power to his house.

NBC New York reported that Sakala had previously read on the Internet about how to convert his Toyota Prius into a power source. Here’s how he did it:

Using a 100-watt power inverter that plugged into the car’s cigarette lighter, and several heavy-duty extension cords he purchased at Home Depot, Sakala was able to power a few lights along with his TV, laptop and modem. He later upgraded to a 300-watt inverter, which let him power more lights.

“The neighbors kept saying, ‘Does Bob have a generator?’ No, it’s the Prius. It’s a spaceship,” he told NBC 4 New York.

Using three quarters of a tank of gas left in his hybrid, Sakala was able to have electricity for light, television and computers — although not heat — in his home.

Watch NBC’s report, which includes how other residents were coping last week with the continued outages (Note: Sakala’s portion begins at 1:11):

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Comments (106)

19RANDY59
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 3:48am
Did he have a permit? D*mn it!!! Where is the permit?LOL

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- NeilChapin
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 5:42am
  American ingenuity triumphs once again. Read fresh political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
  Report this comment
- paulwbrown
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:28am
  He will have to answer to both the EPA and DOE as well as the unions for operating an unlicensed / unregulated power plant.
  
  Report this comment
- G-WHIZ
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:45am
  For many years all cars and trucks have at least a [110amp alternater] and can be used with a plug-in inverter as a small powersource. If the battery is still charged, even if the vdehicle is smashed, an iverter can be clipped to the battery for several hours of low-power/120vac. But ovcourse, I am not a PROG=LIBBY-COMMIE so I can [read] and learn about these easy things! Soooo, y” ride is smashed under a tree—-clip an inverter to your battery with a light to see if it is nice and bright—PRESTO!! Power for fone/computer-charging/running…for some CFL’S to light your house for many days. If you havfe a [dual-fuel]campstove, you have boiled-water to drink and hot soup(etc..). It is only used for light-cooking or water-boiling for drinking—It can burn reg-gasoline or camping-fuel with the same exact results. So y’o car is crashed by the storm…use the gasoline to cook with!
  
  Report this comment
- Go Glenn
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:24am
  Of course they have to point out that it was a Prius. ANY CAR WITH A CIGARETTE LIGHTER WILL POWER AND INVERTER.
  
  I bet there were others doing the same thing with other cars and trucks but this headline just pi$$es me off.
  
  Report this comment
- Edroch
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:58am
  I didi this after Isabell left us with no power for a week. I used a 400W power inverter and the cigarette lighter in my Chevy Lumina and Chevy Astro. We ran a 13″tv and a fan for cooling us. In the middle of the night the car battery would die and I would switch it over to the van. By morning the battery in the car would have regenerated enough to start the car. Drove to work and back and the batterys were recharged for another night of adventure.
  I saw this on the internet after seeing all the gas lines in NJ and NY.
  Convert your generator to run on gasoline, propane or natural gas.
  I’m not sure if propane lines are any shorter than gas lines or if you have natural gas available.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcv4cu1oJ4g&feature=related
  http://www.propanecarbs.com/
  Car conversion
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYP2ZRwq9EE
  If you are really industrious make your own “wood gas” generator.
  You capture gas from burning wood and use it to power a generator, car, truck etc…
  http://www.woodgasifiers.com/
  Has some videos to show how it all works when done.
  
  Report this comment
- HotFixIt
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 11:10am
  The difference between the Prius and most other cars is that the Prius is more efficient in using the fuel in idling I believe.. it was able to make the 3/4 tank last almost a week. I know my car would have run through it much faster continually using fuel. The Prius charges the batteries and then quits using the fuel until it needs to recharge… that is the efficiency of the vehicle… that is why it lasted so long.
  
  Report this comment
- jethrObama
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:49pm
  There are 10′s of thousands of new to older RV’s on the market right now. They are worth having especially if they have a generator. Mine is a 1989 Toyota Odyssey which I paid $5300 to buy, everything works, and it came we a brand new 30-Amp 36,000-Watt generator. Here is what I got for my money: 4 burner propane stove with oven. Shower with hot and cold water, propane powered hot water heater (new), generator (new), 3-way power fridge (12V, Land Power 120VAC if available, and propane), HD-24″ TV, 5.1 surround sound (500-Watts of audio power), Propane furnace with home style thermostat, CO2 and propane gas alarm, sleeps up to 6 but it’s just me and my wife, flushing toilet, bathroom sink, 40-gallons of potable water.
  
  Even if I can’t afford to drive it as gas prices go up (it gets 11-mpg on the highway), I feel REALLY good just having it parked next to the house. I go out and start the motor and generator for 15 minutes about once a month to maintain it and make sure it has a full load of propane.
  
  Even in cold weather I can last a week on one 8-gallon tank of propane. If you have space to park an RV next to your house…. now is the time to buy one.
  
  Report this comment
- jethrObama
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:54pm
  Oops, I meant “3600-Watt”… not 36,000. :)
  
  Report this comment
- KevINtampa
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:11pm
  “The difference between the Prius and most other cars is that the Prius is more efficient in using the fuel in idling I believe.. it was able to make the 3/4 tank last almost a week. I know my car would have run through it much faster continually using fuel. The Prius charges the batteries and then quits using the fuel until it needs to recharge… that is the efficiency of the vehicle… that is why it lasted so long.”
  
  Energy is energy though. Charging the battery requires the burning of just as much energy in gas as the battery would later supply, and because there’s energy transfer happening there’s going to be a net loss. The beauty of hybrids is the using of energy from the brakes to supplement the charging of the battery, meaning less gas is required in charging, better MPG. If the car isn’t using the battery friction to charge then it’s rather a terrible idea. Now if they had a full battery charge, depleted that, then disengaged the combustion engine charging the battery that would prolong the output time, but how large is the gas tank in a Prius? Might be better off with a non-hybrid with a bigger tank.
  
  That’s the way I’ve always understood physics anyways. It’s like the all electric cars… they burn just as much coal as they would gas. Energy is energy. A 1500 pound car will take 1501 pounds of energy to push it no matter what.
  
  This is a perfect experiment for Myth Busters.
  
  Report this comment
- 4XGrace
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 6:40pm
  OMG! Think of the Global Warming he must have accelerated idling his car for so long! Are there not any Anti-Idling By-Laws there? Tsk!
  
  Report this comment
Back To Reality
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:35am
So we think he’s clever for using his Prius as a $30 thousand dollar generator just like anyone in the nation who owns a car?

He could’ve bought a 2000 watt generator for just over a thousand bucks.

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- 19RANDY59
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 2:14am
  He looks like a retired gov worker, hence the lack of intell. As for heat, throw on a few more blankets and shut the He!! up
  
  Report this comment
- marecanine
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 4:50am
  Actually he could have bought a 3500 watt generator for about $500 if he looked around. I have a 3500 watt gen that I power my travel trailer with and it pulls an airconditioner or microwave!
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 7:52am
  i wonder if he felt like He-man after he did this?
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dJolYw8tnk
  
  Report this comment
- ForMyKidsVA
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:12am
  Right before Sandy hit, we bought a 5000 watt (ramps to 5750) for $600. It will enable us to cycle through all three heating/cooling zones, power the gas water heater, gas cooktop, and any lights/tvs, etc.
  
  Report this comment
- G-WHIZ
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:47am
  On the east-cost…where are you gonna get the fuel??
  
  Report this comment
- Loki
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 11:17am
  yes.. anyone can do this with their vehicle…
  yes.. the media had to point out it was a prius…
  at least he did something for himself…..
  why spend $4000 for commercial generator when you can make your own….
  mower engine, high wattage alternator, high wattage inverter.. poof power….
  you dont have to be a hippy or greenie to prepare…
  check out backwoods home magazine..
  
  Report this comment
- CZGUY
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:10pm
  and that 2000 watt generator uses a heck of a lot more gas.
  
  Report this comment
- Mike Austin
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 2:42pm
  But he has a generator for free. He did not have to buy anyhting but the invertor. Do you have an extra $1000? The gas would probably go further in the prius also.
  
  Report this comment
- Stoic one
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 9:19am
  I have a 5500 watt running / 8500 peak generator that I paid 600 for on sale that normally was 900 in spring 2008. when Ike hit 9.13 it paid for itself.
  
  Report this comment
donkeykong
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:31am
300 watt inverter, eh? OK, so never mind the food
in the fridge – 300W won’t do that inductive load.
A Prius is what…$40K ? And a decent 4000W
generator is….maybe $700…..Good buy there, chump.
Also, the generator is not as likely to catch fire….

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- bpodlesnik
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 7:28am
  He didn’t buy the Prius for the only purpose of using it as a generator you dope. He came up with a creative way to use his car as a generator and everyone he is bashing on him. But the sole fact that the car is a Prius, makes him a dumb guy for not paying an extra couple hundred dollars for a generator.
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 8:18am
  BPOD…
  
  It’s not so much that HE is being bashed as much as the Blaze is being bashed for implying that this usage is unique to the Prius…
  
  Report this comment
- G-WHIZ
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:55am
  So dumbo bought a PRIUS the same as a chebbyVolt eceept 15.000dollars cheeper. Coulda bought a really sweet ride with a huge battery and lotsa room to streach out and actually cary somthing besides a few people. for the extra$$ he can way-afford the extra fuelcost and still buy his external gennerator—plus use the gassoline for the gen if the vehicle gets trashed.
  
  Report this comment
kfernandez321
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:11am
I did this during Hurrican Isaac…. why wasn’t I on the news??… this guy probably got the idea off my facebook page

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ronin_6
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:26pm
So? You can do this with any car. Its not the car, its the inverter. Just make sure to start your car every couple of hours to charge the battery.
Nothing to do with it being a Prius.

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- Max jones
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:55pm
  Exactly….Just a deeper battery.
  
  Report this comment
- DaveL
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:31am
  think about it. You’ve got significantly more battery capacity in the Prius than your regular vehicle. Plus a big honkin’ generator driven off the engine. It will outperform any conventional vehicle for this purpose. I haven’t researched this at all, but if you want amps, going through the cigarette lighter isn’t the way to do it. Heavy gauge wire from the batteries to the inverter, then you can go high capacity.
  
  Report this comment
- corbecket
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:50am
  This guy never used the full generating capability of a Prius. Do a web search and you’ll find a fellow that used a huge inverter from a computer installation to operate his whole house (through a transfer switch I believe). The guy in this article was slumming when he used the 12 volt side of a Prius electrical system. Truth be told, the 12 volt system is there to boot up the computers and run the lights. It has nothing to do with the electromotive side of the vehicle. That side “floats” in the mid 200 volt range, and is what assists the engine’s primary propulsion of the vehicle. It also stores up a lot of electrical energy when going downhill (we get a lot of that here in the mountain west).
  
  A Prius can literally operate a whole house when you engineer it properly, using the REAL electrical power available on the propulsion side, and keeping a bit of fuel in it. It is a respectable generating plant with slight modifications, and safe connections to your homes electrical system.
  
  Don’t plan on using the 12 volt system though. That is not where the electrical power is in a Prius.
  
  Report this comment
- Ditto Head
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:57am
  I think the point is that the Prius will run much longer on a gallon of gas than, say, my 3/4 ton Suburban with the 454 big block. But personally, I wouldn’t be caught dead in a Prius.
  
  Report this comment
- corbecket
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:09am
  Visit priups.com to see how the real power is tapped on the Prius.
  
  I know a lot of folks that don’t like the Prius. Suits me fine. I can still fill the vehicle for a little more than $30.00 and get 500 miles down the road with it. Seems to have a lot fewer mechanical problems than my previous vehicles built in the US, and the batteries are still going strong at past 150,000 miles. It’s low mileage compared the the gal I know that put 400,000 miles on hers doing medical courier work, and still didn’t need to replace the batteries.
  
  There will always be a market for low mpg vehicles, as there will be for high mpg cars. Make your choice and pay your money.
  
  Report this comment
- dare2Bdifferent
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 9:52am
  The media missed their opportunity – they should have used this chance to promote the mighty Chevy Volt.
  
  Report this comment
Matagordabill
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:50pm
So what’s the problem? My Airstream with 4500w solar cells, a propane fridge and 12v exhaust fans stays comfortable for quite a while. Did I forget to mention 53 gallons fresh water, 40 gallon black water and 30 gallon gray water tanks? The youngest son just had to beat me. He bought a large fifth wheel unit and a 9500w gas, LP, or natural gas generator. Now as long as the natural gas line is ok, he even has air conditioning.

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Netsurfer2
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:42pm
Why didn’t he pack his car up with everything he could and leave the State??? I don’t understand this guy! He get’s 50 miles per gallon and he suffers even more??? I don’t get it!

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PeteOH
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:37pm
I’ve got two inverters, one for 300 and one for 200. About 16 gallons on standby in tanks. 39 gallons in one suv, 18 in another, about 14 in a Jetta. I could run a smaller (dorm style fridge) lights only when needed, small tv, and basics about 3+ weeks. Also have three 20 pound tanks for grill if I’m feeling too lazy to cook with wood… But, we’ll likely still have natural gas in stove and hot water tank. We could heat with fireplace and oven. The key here is FOOD, WATER and PROTECTION!!!! I don’t get what’s so special about the Prius part. The key if you have multiple vehicles and you even THINK that a storm is coming, is to prepare at least one vehicle for bug-out! Zero harm in keeping some 5 filled gallon cans in safe area of garage or shed, one long range high load capacity vehicle topped off and ready to go quick. I would invest in food, water, simple camping supplies, protection, communications (family radios), rechargable lights, extra batteries, 45-60 day supply of meds, etc, before I invested too heavily in large generators. Remember… Nothing else matters without food and water. In fact, I’m gonna keep a Prius in the back of my Suburban in case I run out of gas!

God bless those affected by that bit@h Sandy!

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mastice
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:33pm
Being a former truck driver this is nothing new. I used to pack all my food from home, for several weeks out, to save money. I had a fridge and microwave in the bunk which I ran off a 1500 watt inverter. (don’t expect to run a microwave or anything off a 100 watt inverter though – you will need a 1000+ watt inverter for that)

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grayling646
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:14pm
Good thing it wasn’t a Volt. He would have burned his house down.

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ginger100
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:48pm
Am I supposed to run and trade in my Ford f 150 when it can do that and drive thru a river of mud with a Prius in the bed of my truck?

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- Harvey
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:03pm
  You can do the same thing with a f 150,i did it four years ago when electric was off a week from an ice storm .I was the only one in the neighborhood that had a warm house.All it takes is a $150.00 Inverter and a few power cords.
  
  Report this comment
oicu814me2
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:43pm
I have a 2000 watt inverter under the hood of my truck with an extra marine battery. It will run alot of stuff. at about 1/2 load i will have to crank my truck about every 3 hours and run it for 15 min.

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Toxic Pirate
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:43pm
Isn’t it illegal to idol you car in the Middle east

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idrathermisstotheright
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:38pm
Here in the soviet province, Oregon, we had a power outage last year and we fired up the wood stove, only 81 degrees in the house, fired up the generator for water, and cycled the freezer and fridge on the generator. I’m not sure how much longer we can do it though since Stalin and his boys want to regulate our wood stove use.

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- newwell
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 2:07am
  We’re in Oregon too. Love the state, love the people, hate the politics. (Love your idea about “state electoral colleges to combat highly populated cities.)
  We had a 10 hour power outage last winter (gotta love those Douglas Firs), major hail storm with mega winds. We were toasty warm with our wood stove, cooked on the stove, oil lamp lighting, hot coffee in the percolator. Enough water to get us through about 5 days. We were set.
  We have a small generator to power the fridge, but are looking to invest in something that will power our well pump.
  It’s all about being prepared & getting self-sufficient.
  
  Report this comment
AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:33pm
You get heat in the Car!!! This is old news to poor country boys, To Be Sure. City kids.. HaHa

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Freedom Hound
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:28pm
A power inverter attached to any vehicle will do the same. What’s the big deal?

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- GrumpyCat
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:08am
  “The big deal” is that the Prius will cycle its engine on and off. As described I think it will run a minute or two every 15 to 30 minutes. The article is not specific but suggests the Prius “ran” for a week on the 3/4 of a tank of gas he had when the storm hit. 12 gallon tank. So he had 8 gallons and used less than that for less than 7 days. For only 100W to 300W. The Prius’s internal load is about 250W to do nothing when the car is turned on.
  
  Also means his Prius was “running” in the driveway for anyone to come along and steal for a week.
  
  Report this comment
Eastinfection
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:26pm
Guess the Prius is good for something other than being crushed in accidents by real cars.

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Leveraction3030
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:08pm
Yes and you can have several marine batteries on hand to keep charged for emergencies for lights and a radio or TV, etc… Along with a full tank of gas in all your vehicles and the inverter you can stay alive quite awhile. Also have several 20pound propane tanks or one big one(250pounds) and you can cook and heat at least a room or two so you don’t freeze to death. Lots of ways to plan and survive but I guess in New York, New Orleans, New Jersey and several other places, where all the Libs live, they just know the Government will take care of them. Obama and Big Sis had everything back to normal in just a couple days, right? Oh and I don’t want to forgot how the NJ fatboy traiter saved NJ in a day or two as well.

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Spyderco
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:57pm
He could have lit up the whole block with a F-150.

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- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:43pm
  How the hells Bills Christmas lights up? Magic? Id hate to be only lights on th block. You seen I am Legend? Hope he hid his food. And car jackers those rascals
  
  Report this comment
Armyduderetired
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:51pm
Ok. Where’s my government supplied Prius? I mean I can hardly afford food and gas as it is but what the hey, if they could subsidize us a Prius we could end the lie. What? They spent 100 billion on green energy to the millionaires but what about us common folk?

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offbrat56
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:49pm
God help us…don’t let OBAMA take credit for “building that!!!”

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Cavy from VA
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:46pm
Oh the carbon emissions!!! How can a environmentally sensitive person who throws their money away on a Prius of all things justify putting all those carbon gasses into the atmosphere to power his light bulbs … he should have done without!!

Parody of course

TEA!!!

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- beekeeper
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:28pm
  I can only imagine what this will do to his average MPG with the car – running it for days on gasoline without moving it…
  
  300 Watts? That’s it? Seriously, a couple small solar panels could have provided that much electricity
  
  Report this comment
- muffythetuffy
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:48pm
  its easy
  
  Report this comment
CourageousGeorge
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:45pm
A 300 watt inverter plugged into the cigarette lighter? ANY car can run that.

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ai4px
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:43pm
Silly, the battery pack in the car has 220v DC on it. Most PC / laptop / switch mode power supplies will run off 220v ac or 220v DC. As you deplete the 220v battery pack, the car will start itself and recharge the batteries. Google the words “bob bruninga prius” for more info… I’m not sure if this site will censor any links, so I didn’t post the link on aprs dot org.

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NO_MORE_OBAMA
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 8:38pm
Creative solutions will always be done better by the people. Our government can’t do anything good and they certainly can’t do it cheap.

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- Cosmos102
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:22pm
  Best response yet.
  
  Of course here in the South, most everybody has a generator, or knows someone who does. We also have propane tanks for our gas grills. We lost power for a little over a week in the dead of winter, due to an ice storm, and ran a space heater, the fridge, tv and a lamp. It was enough to keep us going. Then there are those who own RV’s. Don’t get me started. Point being in the South, we know how to rough it. I think Yankees would be amazed.
  
  Report this comment
- Tractorboy
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 9:59pm
  Hold on there COSMOS102, There is a few of us Northern Rednecks, that heat our houses with coal, have oil lamps,and generators, and can rustle up a fine dish of yard salad, and we got most of our teeth. God bless brother
  
  Report this comment
- grayling646
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:26pm
  I have one tooth. I tell my wife, Cousin Lulu, “I’m going to brush my tooth” just to make her jealous. She doesn’t have any. Hehe.
  
  Report this comment

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