Cool Battery-powered Gadgets

The concept behind VW’s bik.e is that it “folds to a footprint identical to that of a car spare tyre, enabling it to be stowed away easily." Photo: Autoblog Green

The great thing about rechargeable gadgets is their portability.

But the even better thing is that they often consume less energy lessen the chance of the dreaded “vampire power” drain.

So we searched our networks for the coolest battery-powered devices that could be game-changers in the electronics industry.

Samsung Reclaim cell phone

Released last August, the Samsung Reclaim phone is the first phone in the U.S. made in part from bioplastic, a material used often in other industries but widely unused in the electronics industry.

Sold by Sprint, the full featured QWERTY phone is made from 84 percent recyclable materials and packaged in 100 percent recyclable packaging that includes 70 percent recycled content.

Reclaim is free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates and is “nearly” free of brominated flame retardants (BFR). The phone’s charger is also energy-efficient. According to Sprint, the charger is Energy Star approved and consumes 12 times less power than the Energy Star standard for standby power consumption.

2011 Chevy Volt electric car

Volt generates electricity from both its battery and the electricity it creates from gas. You can drive up to 40 miles on the electricity stored in the battery, completely gas and emission-free.

But for that long commute or holiday road trip, the gas-powered generator kicks in automatically to provide electrical power.

With an acceleration of zero to 60 in nine seconds, it may not be as exhilarating as a high-powered Tesla, but most of us are not making our daily commutes via the Autobahn, right?

What it saves: Based on a projected cost of 10 cents per kWh, the Volt will cost about 80 cents per day to fully charge, an energy cost of just 2 cents per mile under electric power.

GM estimates the when the internal combustion engine-generator is running, per-mile cost is still an economical 12 cents, a savings that works out to about a dollar a day.

VW foldable electric bike

If you’re not in the market for a new car, Volkswagen’s new foldable electric bike is a great gadget to spice up your commute.

The concept behind VW’s bik.e is that it “folds to a footprint identical to that of a car spare tyre, enabling it to be stowed away easily,” according to Gizmag.

Earth Techling points out that its compact size makes it ideal for storing in the trunk of a car, perfect for situations where the car in question is out of commission.

But there’s just one drawback. The bike’s reported range is 12.5 miles, so you can’t plan a long trip on this gadget.

Europe is already loving this electric biking concept. While it’s not cheap, it could still save you a ton of money when figuring in high gas prices.

According to The Associated Press, for $1,400 you can buy a 250-watt folding bike powered by a more-powerful, longer-lasting nickel-metal hydride battery like those in a camera or a Toyota Prius.

At the high end, $2,525 buys an extra-light 350-watt model sporting a lightweight lithium-ion battery similar to a laptop’s. Most models can go at least 20 miles before plugging in to recharge.

GREEN CELL universal battery

The Green Cell universal battery is designed to fit into every electronic device on the market, finally eliminating that random collection of archaic chargers and single-use batteries.

Americans purchase nearly 3 billion dry-cell batteries every year to power radios, toys, cellular phones, watches, laptop computers and portable power tools, according to the U.S. EPA.

If you think about it, a standardized universal battery could eliminate a pretty significant fraction of this waste.

Designed by Theo Richardson with Charles Brill & Alex Williams of RBW, the battery promises to eliminate the glut and landfill waste of proprietary batteries, plugs, adaptors and rechargers that are currently required to power mobile electronic devices.

So, how accessible is this product? According to Inhabitat, pretty soon this product may be as readily available as a bag of chips – in your nearest vending machine.

Read more
Greener Gadgets You’ll Love
Green Luxe on a Budget
The Ultimate Battery Guide

Earth911 partners with many industries, manufacturers and organizations to support its Recycling Directory, the largest in the nation, which is provided to consumers at no cost. Call2Recycle is one of these partners.