A portable electrical generator has a manually movable frame. An internal combustion engine and a generator device that generates AC power are supported on the frame. The internal combustion engine drives the generator device. An electrically powered starting device is coupled to the internal combustion engine. A control panel is coupled to the frame and includes at least one AC outlet and a battery receptacle that is electrically coupled to the starting device. The battery receptacle is materially the same as a foot of a cordless power tool that receives a battery pack. The battery pack for the cordless power tool is received in the battery receptacle and provides electrical power to the starting device. In another aspect, the battery receptacle is disposed in an enclosure supported by the frame. In an aspect, the enclosure further includes a battery charger. In an aspect, the enclosure also includes an AC outlet electrically coupled to the generator device with the charger being a stand alone charger plugged into the AC outlet of the enclosure. In an aspect, the battery receptacle receives a battery pack that is one of a plurality of battery packs having different voltages and the generator includes a voltage regulation circuit that couples the battery receptacle to the starting device. The voltage regulation circuit provides at an output coupled to the starting device a voltage at a desired level for the starting device regardless of the voltage of the battery pack received in the battery receptacle.