THE BIRTH OF JUICEBOX: A Portable Propane Generator for the Future

Kimberly Scheberle

When you talk to Chuck Justus, you might think you’re talking to a propane evangelist. He tosses around sentences like “propane is the only resource that makes sense” and “there isn’t another fuel out there that is cleaner or more available” while talking about the development of JuiceBox, a propane-fueled portable generator that he designed and now sells through his company, Evergreen Mobile Power.

But Justus is not a propane guy. Or at least he doesn’t sell propane. He came to embrace propane in a circuitous manner.

Nuts and Bolts

In the Beginning

The beginning of Juice Box owes itself to water cooler talk back in 2011. Justus was working with a Caterpillar dealer, and he heard a lot grumbling from the engineers about new environmental regulations that were looming. They talked a lot about how the new emissions standards were going to negatively affect their business. Mostly they were talking about the diesel generators.

Justus let the conversations marinate. He came away with the idea that something better should be designed. And he would do it.

This first aha moment did not include propane. In fact, Justus embraced solar power as the answer to the emissions issues. He spent the next year and a half building a portable solar powered generator. That initial product measured 13 feet x 9 feet x 8 feet. It cost him $50,000 and produced 7000 watts of electricity.

“Not a good ROI,” Justus said. “There were a bunch of us doing this work…we were all basically finding that [solar] just didn’t work with the portable generator application.”

Justus started looking for a new fuel. Diesel was what he was trying to replace. Gasoline was slightly cleaner. Natural gas was not really available for a portable function.

“There was really no other fuel out there that is cleaner or more available than propane.”

The Birth of JuiceBox

Justus converted his product to propane. It was around 2012, and Justus readily admits he had more questions than answers in those early days. Would his product pass safety standards? Who would do the approving? Who does one talk to? He was innovating in a vacuum and was looking for technical guidance.

His first attempt to engage the propane industry went poorly. He walked into his local propane marketer’s store (where he had been purchasing all the propane he’d been using with his prototype), and asked the marketer his opinion on his generator. That initial marketer was decidedly not enthused with the product and said something to the effect of “If you think I’ll ever sell you a drop of propane for that thing, you’re crazy.” Not the best start. But Justus continued to innovate. He eventually connected with an inspector through the Missouri Propane Gas Association. He drove the two hours to Jefferson City to meet for that first initial meeting. “You’ve done it,” the inspector said. Justus finally had some purchase on getting his product to market.

The current iteration of the JuiceBox measures in at 50” long by 50” wide by 54” high, weighs 1,850 pounds with 64-gallon LPG on board fuel capacity. For most applications one generator is sufficient. But the JuiceBox was designed to be able to be linked together for larger loads. The control module is capable of paralleling up to 32 units together. It is also possible to link it with a larger generator for situations where a bigger demand is required part of the time, but that demand drops to a lower level that the JuiceBox can handle. For instance, a large event that has high demands during the day, but small overnight needs while there are no patrons. Other highlights include an optional water heating on demand system, its ease of use and its simple maintenance.

Practical Applications

Justus named five distinct markets that he is currently selling to.

The entertainment industry was the first industry to adopt use of the Juice Box. “They love it because it is saving them lots of money.” With diesel over $5 a gallon, and propane coming in at $2 a gallon (obviously this changes day by day), their money folks were all over the new equipment. This could be anything from remote sports broadcasting units to film shoots to golf tournaments and festivals.

Just this past year, the NFL utilized JuiceBox for a variety of on-site needs, including powering security check points, heating, and powering on-site Sunday night pre-game football shows. “Security check points need a power source that won’t fail, even in frigid temperatures,” said Joe Calhoun director of business development at the Propane Education & Research Council. “Propane offers the consistent reliability needed to keep these security check points running smoothly—regardless of weather or location—while also offering enhanced safety due to lower emissions,

reduced noise and limited cords.”

Emergency response teams are a good fit for the JuiceBox for obvious reasons. There have been several weather disasters where a JuiceBox unit has been brought it after a hurricane or tornado to provide vital lighting, charging, and cooking services.

The construction industry has been quick to embrace the new product. They are always looking for portable power, and in addition, need solutions for power when developments are in their infancy and don’t have infrastructure in place.

Ironically enough, the equipment rental industry, which has now embraced the JuiceBox, was a slow adopter. They were apprehensive at first and not comfortable with propane. The industry has now gotten on board.

The most unexpected user of the Juice Box has been the EV Market, which has been recently knocking on the door. “They were apprehensive at first, but they are finally on board,” Justus said. Why the EV market? One example Justus provided was a fleet of EV buses. A bus runs out of charge and is stranded. Traditionally, the bus is towed to a charging station, which is time consuming on a variety of levels. With a JuiceBox, the fleet can dispatch the unit to the bus, charge the bus and get it back into the field much more quickly. The same can be said for any EV vehicle that runs out of charge. “It’s an eco-friendly solution for fleets.” New Opportunities

Justus says he hopes propane marketers see his product as an opportunity and provide the service he thinks JuiceBox customers will need. “[Our customers] won’t be looking for the cheapest fuel, they’ll be looking for the best service,” Justus said. “They will need dependable weekend service. They won’t mind paying a weekend surcharge as long as they can count on [you] to be a good partner.”

Justus thinks that if marketers make a commitment to this portable generator world, and are flexible with their different needs, the rewards will be a new market. “And I’m not talking about 100 gallons. I’m talking about 10,000 at one job site.”

Texas Experience

Sean Caney, Douglass Distributing propane operations manager, has first-hand experience with the JuiceBox units. His company purchased a unit in the fall of 2021. That first unit was intended for inhouse use, as an emergency back-up for their properties. “We always have propane,” Caney said, adding having the unit was a great hedge against power outages.

But the unit kept being loaned out, for both philanthropic and commercial purposes. It was used by a builder in a subdivision that couldn’t build because the electrical infrastructure hadn’t been put it place yet. The company also loaned it out to a local company that caught fire and needed lighting to do emergency cleanup. Another time a transformer blew. Douglass used its unit to power the wireless connections for the county during the outage. Caney said the marketing it created was phenomenal. It sells itself.

Douglass has more recently ordered 10 units. “We bought it for ourselves, and it was never here. … [These units] provide a great off-season opportunity,” Caney said.

He said that while it was scary at first (to try the new product), it has ended up being a great thing. The Douglass service techs report they are easy to maintain. Several of the new Douglass units will include the optional tankless water heater. These are good for food trailers and places where dish or hand washing might be needed.

Current Juice Box Specs

Dimensions – 50”L x 50”W x 54” H Weight – 1850 lbs Fuel Capacity On Board – 64 US Gal LPG only Fuel Consumption – 1 gph (10% load) to 3 gph (100% load) Engine Displacement – 1.0L Oil Capacity – 2.43 US qts Electrical – 20kW @ 120/208 3ph switchable to 120/240 single phase

Optional Features:

Paralleling Equipment (electrically link up to 32 together) GPS Tracking Remote Monitoring On-Demand Water Heater 4-Point Lifting Natural Gas and LPG Operation On-Highway Trailer