electricity

Every once in awhile, along comes a gadget that's most useful for what it doesn't produce. A perfect example is the "Static Electricity Eliminator."

All that's needed to work this simple little device is to press its rubber end against any grounded (metal) object until its light flashes, indicating that you're no longer a walking piece of Velcro for laundry just out of the dryer. As Coolest-Gadgets notes, it's particularly handy this time of year when a conspiracy of heaters, carpets, and loved ones threatens to turn you into a victim of spontaneous … Read more

One of the easiest ways to help Mother Earth is to ditch your petrol-guzzling, smog-bellowing harbinger of death, in exchange for a G-Wiz. It's a fully electric car, meaning you never, ever have to fill it up with petrol. Just plug it in at home or at your local garage, charge it up for eight hours, then drive to your heart's content, safe in the knowledge that you're not exacerbating Mother Nature's toxic asthma.

We recently went for a spin in one of these mobile rabbit hutches and can bring you video evidence of why you … Read more

The craze over guitars may be getting bigger by the day, but at least one gadget maker is looking to shrink them--to the point of the "smallest precision electric guitar" available.

How small? It measures just 26.5 inches long yet still includes 20 frets, according to its product description. (But we'll spare you the marketing-speak about reproducing the "cellular structure of wood" and such.)

Of course, there's always the question of why someone would want one of these, not to mention spend $800 for it. Especially when there are "Pac-Man Guitars" … Read more

Volkswagen, the German car giant, will participate in a joint venture with Phoenix Motorcars to build electric vehicles for Latin America and India.

The plant for the venture, called Pristine International, will be built in Puebla, Mexico. It is unclear what kind of vehicles these cars will be. Phoenix, though, specializes in all-electric SUVs and Trucks. The company has taken orders for over 500 electric vehicles and hopes to start delivering some to customers in 2008. Earlier, it had hoped to get cars out in 2007.

Phoenix plans to insert batteries from Reno's Altair Nanotechnologies into its cars. Altair'… Read more

Once again, Aptera, the producer of a three-wheeled electric vehicle, is making big claims.

The Aptera Typ-1, a vehicle that can get 300 miles per gallon, will be available in early 2008 for less than $30,000 in both an electric plugin, and gas electric plugin hybrid version, the company announced Monday.

The vehicle will be able to charge from any stand 110-volt outlet, according to company specs.

The Typ-1 will have a range of 120 miles on electricity alone, with a 600 mile range for the hybrid version when fully fueled. The vehicle seats two in the front, with … Read more

I had a chance to visit with the founders of a new San Francisco Bay Area clean-tech start-up called Barefoot Motors, which is building an all-electric ATV. I think is a great idea for an untapped electric vehicle product.

Think about it: Of all the potential electric vehicles out there, ATVs suck down a comparably large amount of gasoline per mile and are used primarily for short-range transport (range is a longtime achilles heel of electric vehicles). And some riders have a serious problem with the noise and the noxious exhaust fumes.

Add to that the fact that ATV riders … Read more

The UPS branch in Petaluma, Calif., has leased 42 Zap Xebras, low-speed electric vehicles, for deliveries amid a flurry of activity at Zap.

The Xebra, which comes as a car or truck, is a little bit like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. It has three wheels, comes in flashy colors, and tops out at around 40 miles per hour. You can't take it on the freeway, and acceleration is middling. Look at the picture. It doesn't exactly scream chick magnet. (Read more on my test ride.)

But for inter-neighborhood deliveries, it does the job. UPS will … Read more

The Tesla Roadster doesn't pollute, but you've got to wonder about the generator.

Tesla Motors is currently allowing prospective buyers to test-drive its all-electric sports cars. The test drives are taking place around the intersection of Skyline Boulevard and Highway 84 going toward La Honda.

I saw the company prep for some test drives while I was on a bike ride on Friday. (Thank you for repaving the road to San Gregorio, California Dept. of Transportation.) The company hauls the car up the hill in a trailer. But what does it also bring? A generator, to charge the … Read more

Imagine an unmanned version of a rickshaw designed to pull along a roller-blader who didn't want to roller-blade. That pretty much describes the "Electric Cruiser" by Mademoto.

This weird contraption is powered by an electric motor that can reach a top speed of just under 19 miles per hour, which is easily fast enough to cause major injury. But that assumes one will be actually pulled in a straight line, rather than using it as a partner for a pairs skating demonstration as it appears in this picture seen on 7Gadgets.