EnviroGadget » Automotive Eco Gadgets

SP300 – Super Slim Solar-Powered Bluetooth Car Kit

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:00:10 +0000

The SP300 is a slim 3-in-1 Bluetooth hands free car kit. The sleek and slim speakerphone is supplied with attachments to allow you to mount it onto your windscreen, sun visor or even seat-belt. The windscreen mount allows you to charge the Bluetooth kit through solar energy due to the solar panel on its rear.

The SP300 Bluetooth Car Kit allows you to use your mobile while in the car safely. The hands free kit uses a digital signal processor (DSP) which allows it to filter the surrounding noise and helps to reduce the echo that can be caused by your own voice. The full duplex mode is able to enhance the quality of the sound for clearer communication for both sides of the conversation.

The windscreen mount is simple to attach to any car and can be quickly and easily removed when necessary. The two suction cups secure the mount to the screen, the solar panel on the rear of the mount is then exposed to any sunlight that is hitting that area of screen. The internal 650mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery requires 3 hours to be fully charged through the USB to car charger/cigarette lighter cable and can be charged fully from solar energy in around 18 hours.

By using the windscreen mount you can prolong the use time of the hands free kit while allowing you to use the device without any wires infringing on your view or getting in the way of you driving. The hands free kit can provide you with up to 14 hours of talk time and up to 1250 hours of standby time on a full charge without any solar boost. The Bluetooth kit has an operational distance of up to 10 meters. The SP300 provides you with a Bluetooth hands free kit for your mobile phone that can be powered solely by eco-friendly energy or use this energy to elongate the time between charges helping to provide you with a kit you can rely on to be ready for use whenever you require it.

The Super Slim Solar-Powered Bluetooth Car Kit costs just £29.95 plus delivery.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the SP300 – Super Slim Solar-Powered Bluetooth Car Kit article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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Elecscoot Electric Urban Scooters

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:00:37 +0000

Elecscoot is a company who produce a range of eco-friendly scooters. The scooters are powered by electricity rather than petrol or diesel and are perfect for short journeys such as a trip to the shops.

The Elecscoot scooters offer a comfortable ride with plenty of storage, allowing you to get to the shops, to work or just out for a short drive in comfort. The scooters produce no emissions while you ride, they are also a substantial amount cheaper to run than their petrol equivalents. It is thought a full charge for these scooters should cost you around 8p. They are also exempt from road tax and the congestion charge in London. Each of the three scooters shown here have an intelligent Regen-braking design. This allows the scooters to store a small amount of charge back into the battery when you decelerate which helps to slow the scooter down automatically.

The Elecscoot 2 is the lower powered of the three, but is perfect for those who just need a ride for short journeys. The scooter has a 1500 W brushless motor and is able to reach a top speed of around 37 mph. It can travel around 40 miles on one charge of its silicon battery. It takes between 2 and 8 hours to charge fully from mains electricity. The Elecscoot 2 can carry a maximum of 150kg and has both under-seat storage and a rear rack for you to store your belongings on. This scooter costs £1,959 to purchase.

The Elecscoot 3 has a lift out lithium battery which makes it more convenient for those who live in high rise building, or work in one. The scooter has a 2000 W brushless motor and can achieve a top speed of 30 mph. The Elecscoot can travel up to 30 miles on one charge, it takes around 2 hours to fully charge this scooters battery. The Elecscoot 3 can also carry a maximum of 150kg and has storage similar to the Elecscoot 2. This scooter costs £2,597 to purchase.

The Elecscoot 4 is the more powerful of the three scooters. The scooter has a DC 4000 W hub motor which allows the scooter to reach speeds of up to 60 miles an hour. The light lithium battery is large enough to allow the scooter to travel up to 100 miles on a single charge. It takes between 2 – 4 hours for the battery to fully charge. This model features a full battery management system which allows you to take control of the minimum and maximum voltage, amps and temperature for each cell. The Elecscoot 4 has a maximum weight capacity of 170kg and has under-seat and rack storage. This scooter costs £4,595 to purchase.

These three Elecscoot electric scooters provide you with the ability to travel short distances without spending the high costs associated these days with petrol. The electricity needed to run these scooters and their short ranges are draw backs, however anyone with an eco-friendly electricity source like solar power or wind power would be able to use these in confidence of making a significant difference.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Elecscoot Electric Urban Scooters article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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E300 Razor – Electric Scooter

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:00:38 +0000

The E300 model by Razor is an electric scooter designed to be used by teenagers and adults. It achieves this by having a larger framework than some of Razor’s other models of scooter, along with wider wheels and a larger deck. The scooter can achieve speeds of up to 15 mph, making it an exhilarating ride for those old enough to handle it.

The E300 Razor scooter is powered by two rechargeable 12 volt lead acid sealed batteries, giving the scooter a combined 24 volts to power it. These batteries take 12 hours to charge from empty using the battery charger provided and as a full charge allows you a range of 9 – 11.5miles of usage or roughly 45 minutes of run time you may find it is on charge most of the time. The range though should allow you to have fun with the scooter when needed and successfully make small trips with it without incident, allowing you to go further in less time than walking and allow it to charge over night.

The high torque motor has a single chain drive which allows the scooter to run quite quietly. You accelerate the scooter by using the twist grip accelerator when needed, the scooter also has a hand operated brake to allow you to control it better. The front wheel has suspension and coupled with the 25 cm pneumatic tires the scooter should offer a smooth and stable ride.

The bike can be folded away to help it take up less space when not in use. Unfolded it measures 93 cm x 106 cm x 21 cm (36.6 in x 41.7 in x 8.3 in), whereas folded the scooter measures 93 cm x 46 cm x 21.5 cm (36.6in x 18.1 in x 8.5 in). The scooter itself weighs 52lb (23.6kg) and can take a maximum weight of 220lb (100kg). Due to the speeds protective gear is required when riding the scooter, and it is only suitable for those over 13/14. The scooter will need some assembly when delivered but instructions and the tools required are supplied.

The E300 Razor scooter is available for just £269.95 plus delivery.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the E300 Razor – Electric Scooter article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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Current Regulating Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Booster

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:00:12 +0000

The Current Regulating Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Booster is a small device to help make your car more energy efficient. The device works by regulating the current in the electronics to make sure that a stable current reaches the cars electrical control unit (ECU).

The Current Regulating Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Booster is said to help reduce the amount of fuel used by 18%. The company state that in independent tests they had run by an automotive testing service the device helped to increase a test cars miles per gallon from 28.1 to 23.8 in two weeks.

The Current Regulating Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Booster is inserted into a cars DC outlet, and comes with an adapter to give your car two DC outlets so that you can still use an outlet for another device. The device is meant to reduce the electrical interference from items such as the stereo, air conditioning or lights to make sure that the cars ECU has a stabilised electrical supply to help it achieve its most optimum working environment. As the ECU controls the cars fuel injection and ignition systems it working better helps to optimize fuel efficiency of the car.

The Fuel Efficiency Booster is meant for use in 12 volt cars that are two or more years old and is not suitable for hybrid cars. There is some speculation to its actual effectiveness (though the independent testing would suggest it is effective), as the electrical equipment should be digital and therefore fluctuations in voltage should not cause any negative effects. The efficiency booster is available for just $79.95 plus shipping.

Update 2nd June 2010: There has been considerable feedback on this product, claiming that it can’t work. I am unable to prove these claims either way, therefore I am closing comments for this post to avoid litigation issues. Most of the comments I’ve received would be ripe pickings for a litigation lawyer, so I’ve deleted and disabled them so that I don’t get sued!

Update 4th June 2010: In response to a legal request to modify a comment, I’ve decided to remove all comments on this post instead. As stated above, this is to avoid any litigation issues in the future.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Current Regulating Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Booster article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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fTech Solar Powered Bluetooth GPS Receiver

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:00:03 +0000

The Solar Powered Bluetooth GPS Receiver by fTech can be connected to devices such as PDAs, laptops or mobile phones through a Bluetooth connection to provide them with GPS data. The device uses solar power to run to help provide the device with a constant source of energy.

This Solar Powered Bluetooth GPS device is a powerful receiver that can pick up GPS signals down to -158dBm (decibel milliwatts). This is almost 1000 times weaker than a normal GPS signal of -127dBm so the device can pick up signals indoors, under trees, and other places an average GPS device would struggle to receive a signal. The device also features quick start times, it starts in 15 seconds for a hot start (which is turning the device on and off within a short period if time so the GPS data is still current), 36 seconds start time for a warm start (which is when the device is turned off then on but only some of the GPS data is still correct) and has a cold start time of 37 seconds ( a cold start is when the device has no correct data and so has to search fully for satellites).

The Solar Powered Bluetooth GPS Receiver uses a MediaTek 51 channel GPS receiver chip, the 51 channels mean the device is able to pick up 51 signals at once, this aids the device in locating GPS data so quickly. The receiver provides a GPS device with a postition that is accurate within 3 meters.

The GPS reciever has a battery that should last for around 20 hours when charged, the solar panel is expected to help extend this to around 30 hours of constant use. The device measures 5.5cm x 10.3cm x 2.2cm (2.17in x 4.06in x .87in), this is a little larger than similar GPS receivers but this increase in size is mainly down the addition of the solar panel. There are 2 LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) on the device, one indicates that a GPS position has been fixed by flashing red, the other indicates when a bluetooth connection has been established by flashing blue. These LEDs have been designed to be clearly visible during the day, which does mean they are quite bright at night or in similar low light conditions.

The LEDs are the only way to know if the device is functioning as it lacks even a small LCD screen to display simple data on, such as battery charge or current GPS coordinates. This lack of basic information can obviously lead to issues with the device running out of power without warning. As the device is only a receiver it is completely useless unless it is connected to a PDA, mobile phone or other such device that has GPS software on it. It may though be able to be used as a booster to other GPS devices that have a lower powered receiver.

Source: fTech

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the fTech Solar Powered Bluetooth GPS Receiver article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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Powerplus Pelican – Solar Powered Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:00:21 +0000

The Solar Powered Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge, named The Pelican and made by Powerplus, is a small lightweight device for checking tyre pressure. Designed to be ready for use at any time, with a light to aid nighttime usage, this digital tyre pressure gauge helps you to have the correct pressure in your tires.

The Powerplus Pelican is solar powered so it is ready for use at anytime without worrying about batteries, though for nighttime use it runs off its battery (it comes with two 3v CR2032 batteries). The Digital tyre pressure gauge is accurate to 0.07 bar and has a pressure range of 0.15 bar to 10 bar. The tyre pressure can be displayed in bar, psi, kPa or kg/cm², so no matter what measurement you are used to this device will help you. Having the correct tyre pressure can help save on fuel costs by ensuring your tires have correct amount of traction. This allows your engine to work as energy efficiently as possible, as with too little traction it overworks finding grip, and with too much your engine works hard to overcome the increase in friction.

The Powerplus Pelican also has a tyre thread depth gauge built in, so while you are checking your tyres’ pressure you can keep an eye on how much wear you have left on them. It has an orange LED light to help illuminate the tyre valve and the LCD screen for the digital read out has an orange back light for nighttime use. These light sources give off a soft red-ish light which is meant to help you maintain your night vision. Weighing 50g and measuring 14cm x 3.8cm x 2cm (5.6in x 1.5in x 0.8in) the device is a convenient size to be kept in any car.

The Solar Powered Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge is available for £11.99 plus delivery from Nigel’s Eco Store.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Powerplus Pelican – Solar Powered Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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Portable Motorless Solar Air Purifier

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:00:44 +0000

The Solar Air Purifier is an easy to use portable device that cleans the air giving you a healthy, odor neutralised environment. By simply placing it near any window the Solar Air Purifier will clean the air silently using its high-efficiency photo-catalysis and active carbon filter to scrub the air of any smoke and smells.

The Solar Air Purifier is a great solution to many common air issues like smoke, exhaust fumes, even pet and cooking odors. Useful in the car, kitchen, or anywhere with access to light. To those wanting a breath of fresh air in a world full of fumes, be it simply for the pleasure of clean air or for those with respiratory problems, the Solar Air Purifier offers a greener way of achieving this.

The photo-catalysis uses light to convert any toxic gasses and even fine particles that may be in the air into harmless substances through oxidation while the active carbon filter helps to remove any smoke and odors from the air.

Using solar power means no worries with batteries or wiring helping with its size (4.5cm x 17cm x 10cm or 1.7 inches x 6.7 inches x 4 inches) to make this a truly portable piece of kit. The Solar Air Purifier is motorless, allowing it to purify the air silently and efficiently, though be warned, it will sometimes need bright sunlight to properly recharge itself.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Portable Motorless Solar Air Purifier article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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Eko Stoplight Timer for Road Traffic Lights

Dan (EnviroGadget Writer) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:20 +0000

Industrial Designer Damjan Stanković has designed a simple, but very practical system for helping drivers to save fuel and drive a little more efficiently. The idea is a countdown timer that encircles a standard red stop-light. The idea means that drivers can tell how long it will be before the red light changes to amber and then green.

There are a couple of advantages to this countdown timer, most notably fuel efficiency. If you know that the lights are not going to change any time soon, you could switch off your engine for a little while. Rather than switch on your engine again too early (i.e. when you’re guessing that the light is about to change), you can see exactly when it’s a good time to switch on your engine again.

Even if there’s not enough time to switch off your engine, it does mean that you can put the handbrake on and put the car in neutral for a while, rather than wasting fuel whilst holding the car on biting point.

The other significant advantage is that you reduce road-rage just a little. Since drivers know exactly when the lights are about to change, they are less likely to get frustrated with what feels like a slow light change. Sometimes it can appear that stop lights have frozen, but a countdown timer would stop drivers jumping the lights because they think that the light has frozen on red.

The only down-side with a countdown timer that I can think of, is that some drivers might jump the red lights when there are only a couple of bars left on the countdown timer. Thinking that the light change is imminent, they might jump the gun too early. Potentially causing accidents.

Source: Yanko Design

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the Eko Stoplight Timer for Road Traffic Lights article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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UKEco 60v 2000watt Electric Scooter

Dan (EnviroGadget Writer) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:42 +0000

If you’re in a city, getting around in heavy traffic is lots of hassle. Well, if you hate cycling in a city, but don’t want a car or motorbike, then these new UKEco Electric Scooters are worth looking at. On a single charge, the scooters can go up to 40 miles, and reach speeds of up to 30mph. Here’s the good bit, in the UK, there is no road tax to pay on an electric scooter, and it’s completely exempt from the congestion tax charge too!

Since the vehicle has zero emissions, you immediately become eligible for tax breaks that specifically relate to emissions! You will need to register the scooter with the DVLA (UK’s vehicle registration authority), and you will need insurance (a requirement for all motor vehicles in the UK), however, all of these fees are pretty low due to the low power of the scooter. Depending on when you got your UK licence, you might also need to take a Compulsory Bike Training (CBT) course to get the right licence for riding a scooter.

The scooters come in a large range of colours, including black/silver, blue/white, yellow/black, red/white, purple/white, green/black, orange/black and all black. To use a great phrase from the UK Eco Scooters website, the 2000W motor is roughly equivalent to a “50cc petrol scooter without a noise like a bumblebee on steroids”. The electric scooters are pretty much silent!

The UKEco 60v 2000watt Electric Scooters retail for around £1000, but UK Eco Scooters are currently running a special offer where the scooters are just £799.99.

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the UKEco 60v 2000watt Electric Scooter article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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BodyGard Hand-Powered Emergency Tool

Dan (EnviroGadget Writer) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:16 +0000

The BodyGard Hand-Powered Emergency Tool is essentially a hybrid of a swiss army knife and a survival kit. The gadget contains a hand-crank so that you can charge up the internal battery for powering the built-in bright LED flashlight, the flashing red emergency light, the digital FM radio, the motion activated security alarm, or the mobile phone and cell phone charger. And those are just the electronic aspects of the 12-in-1 emergency gadget!

The tool also contains a panic button with an extremely loud sonic alarm, large 14mm diameter oil filled compass, signaling mirror to signal for help, a handy storage compartment for matches and/or pills, an adjustable lanyard to allow you to tie the tool to anything you like, and finally a charging unit so you can charge it via the mains too.

Basically this gadget gives you a lot of useful stuff for any situation where you get stranded in a remote location. The one lacking feature that might have been a good idea is a walkie-talkie. It would also have been nice to have an electronic pest deterrent. However, it’s a cool little gadget, and only costs $19.99!

Want to buy this gadget? Check out the BodyGard Hand-Powered Emergency Tool article on EnviroGadget to see the lowest prices for this gadget.

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