Gas-Powered Battery Charger

Sure you can run a battery charger with a portable generator, but why not cut out the middle man, especially if you’re off the beaten path where you don’t want to haul around a large generator? This would be especially great for charging up an electric trolling motor battery or camper battery when you’re 150 miles from the nearest outlet.

Weighing in at 26 lbs, this 2.5hp generator can charge a 12V battery up to 55 amps an hour. It uses a 55cc 4-stroke Honda engine to drive a Bosch alternator. The generator consumes about 1/5 of a gallon an hour and has a tank large enough to run for an hour and a half. The panel features an LED readout and a switch to choose between low and high charge rates.

This little generator is made in Australia and it isn’t cheap. It ships with 10 foot leads terminated with alligator clips and runs $1350 AUS, or about $1200 US. If anybody knows of a little gas-powered charger like this that’s made a little closer to North America, let us know in the comments.