IT'S CHEAPER TO CHARGE AN EV WITH A DIESEL GENERATOR THAN PUBLIC DC FAST CHARGING

EV Channels Review

In this episode of the Out of Spec Podcast, Kyle details a recent testing scenario where charging electric vehicles using a rented diesel generator proved to be more cost-effective than utilizing public DC fast charging infrastructure. The team needed a mobile DC charging solution for extensive testing of multiple electric trucks, including the F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, Tesla Cybertruck, Silverado EV, and Hummer EV. Unable to find a suitable battery-powered mobile charging unit, they opted for a 56kW diesel generator and a 40kW Autel DC charger. Over two weeks, they dispensed 541 kWh, using 62.9 gallons of diesel, costing $212. This equates to approximately 8.6 kWh per gallon. The hosts highlight that while the rental cost of the generator was high, the fuel cost per kWh was significantly lower than public charging rates. They calculated that charging this amount via public DC fast charging, even with a discounted membership, would have cost $227.22, whereas using diesel cost only $54 (based on average home electricity rates) or $21.22 for the diesel fuel itself. The experiment revealed that the efficiency of charging via diesel generator (25% fuel-to-electricity conversion) was not drastically worse than the overall efficiency of a coal-fired power plant feeding the grid. The portability of the diesel generator was a key advantage for off-grid testing, though the ideal solution remains a towable battery pack with a DC fast charger.