Fundamentally, the difference is that portable power stations use rechargeable batteries rather than gasoline. What power stations lack in raw power compared to generators they more than make up for in portability and the ease of recharging rather than refueling.

Start-stop systems as we now know them, have had an eventful history. More than 40 years ago, Toyota developers presented an electronic system to automatically stop the engine when the vehicle stopped.

With the increasing popularity of switching batteries and more and more manufacturers producing new low-emission vehicles, switching batteries are rapidly becoming the norm.

If you depend on a CPAP machine for a peaceful night's sleep, having a backup source of electricity is essential to for power outages or trips away from home.