Your Car as a Backup in an Outage
Last verified: September 2026
Your car is a big battery on wheels — it can charge your phone, run the radio, offer brief warmth or cooling, and get you to help. Here's how to use it well, with one firm safety rule. Call (330) 200-8042.
Your Car as a Backup, at a Glance
Your car is a big battery on wheels, and in an outage it can charge your phone, run the radio, offer brief warmth or cooling, and get you to help. This guide covers using it well — charging devices, keeping the tank full, the radio, and a small car kit — plus a word on inverters and electric vehicles. The one firm rule: never run the engine in a closed or attached garage, where its exhaust can kill. There's a printable 29-page version up top.
Common Questions
1 Can I run my car in the garage to charge or warm up?
Never in a closed or attached garage, even with the door open. A running engine gives off carbon monoxide that builds up fast and can seep into the house. Only run the car outdoors, in the open air, well clear of windows and doors.
2 What can my car do for me in an outage?
Charge phones and small devices, run its radio for news, offer brief warmth or cooling, and get you to help or a place with power. With an inverter it can run small loads, but it can't safely power your house — that's a job for a generator or battery.
3 How do I charge my phone from the car?
Through a USB port or a 12-volt adapter — keep the cords in the car. Run the engine now and then, outdoors, so charging doesn't drain the car's own battery. Keep the car outside whenever the engine runs.
4 Why keep the gas tank full during storm season?
Gas stations run on electricity, so an outage can shut down the pumps right when you need fuel for the car or a generator. Keeping the tank at least half full means you're never caught empty and gives you more hours of charging and comfort.
5 What if I drive an electric vehicle?
Some EVs can power devices or even parts of a home with special equipment, and they make no exhaust — but they depend on charging. Start a storm with a full charge and plan how you'd recharge during a long outage.
6 What should be in a car emergency kit?
Water and snacks, a blanket, a flashlight and batteries, charging cords and a 12-volt adapter, a basic first-aid kit, jumper cables, and a bright cloth to signal if stranded — plus winter gear in the cold season.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
Your car is a backup you already own, and I'll help you get the most from it — charging set up, a stocked trunk kit, and safe habits so it's ready to pitch in. $99 flat for a visit, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).