At this years 2010 Geneva Motor Show Hyundai showed off its latest eco-friendly concept car, the I-Flow.  The car is downright stunning and shows that Hyundai wants a piece of the Japanese customer base.  The car is lightweight, has an adaptive front spoiler and side rocker, and solar panels.  Read on for details.

The Hyundai I-Flow is powered by a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain and uses a 1.7-liter dual-stage turbocharger.  The battery system will be Lithium Ion-Polymer.

Let me start off this review by saying that Scosche has hit a home run with their solBAT II solar powered backup battery and charger.  There really isn’t much I would change on this solar powered gadget.  Read on for the full review.

Scosche solBAT2 Review

Considering that just about everyone is toting around some battery powered gadget (iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, iPod, etc…) these days, an extra “off grid” battery charger is a nice gadget to have when a wall socket or computer isn’t available.  Add the fact that this “off grid” battery charger is solar powered and you had me at hello.  Perfect for camping, long flights, etc…

The Scosche solBAT II has a full 1500mA lithium-ion battery capacity and managed to bring my nearly empty iPhone 3G to full capacity rather quickly with some extra juice left over.  The standard type A USB adapter outputs 5V at 500mA.  The solBAT 2 gives you plenty of charging options… you can plug it in to your USB port on your computer, or go solar by hanging it off of your backpack via the included carabiner clip, or drop it in to the clear plastic cradle which has suction cups for window charging.

Good

• The Scosche solBAT ii is very portable measuring just 1.9 x 5.4 x 8.5 inches and only 5.6 ounces.
• Excellent clear suction cupped cradle for car or house windows.
• Carabiner clip for clipping on… well just about anything.
• Great battery capacity at 1500mA (5v; 500mA, lithium-ion).
• Super common USB type A female adapter
• Fair price point at under $20 here.

Bad (not much really)

The battery charging time via solar could be quicker… but then the solar panel would have to be much larger.  If the device was larger it wouldn’t have the portable size that I love so much.  It currently takes about 4-5 days of good sun to fully charge via solar.

I hope that every cell phone, and gadget with batteries for that matter, will eventually have a solar panel integrated.  Until that happens gadgets like XPAL’s Solar Egg will have to do the job.  The Solar Egg is a small solar keychain that claims to work in natural light (doesn’t need tons of sun) and will charge to about 90% in four hours.  Expect to see this min March.

The solBAT II is a backup battery that charges through its solar panel and stores the power for future charging of any USB device.

Position the solBAT II in the sun by mounting via suction cups or clip and the 1500mA solBAT II slowly charges.  When full the solBAT II puts out 5V through USB, which is enough power to charge your iPhone as quickly as you can from the wall.

The best part is the fair price of $30 (available soon).  We will do a few review when we get our hands on this bad boy.

[Scosche]

Perfect way to add some more bling to my Grandmas yard – solar balls!  They charge from the sun and will help to illuminate her garden gnomes in the night time.  You get a set of two for under $25 here.

I love the idea of the Xantrex Xpower Powerpack 852-2071 solar battery charger and inverter.  It has two built in AC outlets, a USB port, a digital display, has a 400-watt inverter, and 12 volt DC outlet.  Yours for less than $129 here.  Read on for more details and pictures.

Operate your favorite gadgets anywhere with the Xantrex XPower Powerpack Solar. This portable solar device provides 400 watts of household power to run appliances and electronics. The Powerpack Solar’s solar panel continuously captures, stores, and converts the sun’s energy and extends the runtime of many portable devices. Two AC outlets, a DC socket, and a USB port give you plenty of options for simultaneously operating anything from laptops to cell phones to small TVs.

The Xantrex XPower Powerpack Solar At a Glance:

• 400 watts of power
• Quiet, "green" alternative to a generator
• Detachable 5-watt solar panel
• Extends device runtime by up to 25 percent
• 2 AC outlets, 1 DC outlet, and 1 USB port can work simultaneously

The Powerpack lets you run devices from anywhere and extends runtimes up to 25 percent.

Quieter and more compact than a generator, this powerful tool adds fun and comfort to your travels.

Portable Power for All Your Electronics
A perfect companion for road trips, vacations, and camping, the Powerpack Solar can simultaneously run multiple devices thanks to its two 120-volt AC outlets, single 12-volt DC outlet, and USB port. The powerful built-in 400-watt inverter and sealed, spill-free 10-amp/hour AGM battery can power anything from a CD player to a 13-inch TV to a laptop to an air compressor. At the same time, the built-in USB port makes it easy to charge digital music players, cell phones, computer peripherals, and more.

A handy three-digit display helps you keep tabs on your Powerpack Solar’s battery power. For those times when you want to conserve your battery, an AC charger is included for charging from a standard wall outlet, and a DC charger is included for charging from a vehicle or RV battery.

For added convenience, the Powerpack Solar runs quietly, making it a great alternative to a generator. Non-slip rubber surrounds protect the Powerpack Solar from bumps and scuffs, and two built-in lamps help you set up the unit when the lights go out or when you’re getting cozy in a tent.

Clean, Green Renewable Solar Power
The XPower Powerpack Solar is the first power pack to incorporate solar power in a compact, portable power source. It’s completely self renewing, which means the five-watt solar panel captures, stores, and converts the sun’s energy, replenishes the XPower Powerpack Solar’s battery, and extends the runtime of many devices by up to 25 percent. An added bonus, the solar panel is detachable, so you can charge the battery and leave the panel in a safe place when you go to the beach or tackle the trail.

The XPower Powerpack Solar is covered by a six-month warranty. It measures 15.0 x 4.5 x 10.25 inches (LxWxH) and weighs 12.3 pounds.

About Xantrex
Xantrex Technology Inc. (xantrex.com), a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, is a world leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of advanced power electronic products and systems for the renewable and mobile power markets. The company’s products convert and control raw electrical power from any central, distributed, renewable, or backup power source into high-quality power required by electronic equipment and the electricity grid. Xantrex is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with facilities in the United States, Germany and Spain, and a joint venture in China.

What’s in the Box
Rechargeable solar-powered battery pack, AC charger, and DC charger.

Look for this amazing product at CES in Las Vegas in the next few days.  The Horizon HYDROFILL is basically a desktop hydrogen fueling station which will extract hydrogen from its water tank… and fill up small cartridges (basically mini hydrogen fuel cells).

This product is a bit of a big deal, this could mean the first real technology allowing a hydrogen fueling station in every home.  Free power folks!  Read on for more details and pictures after the break.

“We no longer need to rely on nationwide networks of hydrogen fueling stations to enable large-scale fuel cell commercialization,” said Horizon co-founder Taras Wankewycz. “Horizon is initiating a transition that places consumers in the driving seat. Thanks to our innovation each household can gradually become a major part of tomorrow’s hydrogen fuel supply infrastructure.”

The HYDROFILL can run off of a solar panel or a small wind turbine to automatically extract the hydrogen from it’s water tank. The power is then stored in cartridges which contain metallic alloys that absorb hydrogen using a crystalline structure.

As battery technology continues to improve, so do the uses for the batteries.  Panasonic is working on a storage cell with enough capacity to power a standard Japanese home for a full week.

The home battery cell should be available in Japan in 2010 according to Panasonic President Fumio Otsubo.  Panasonic has already been working on cell home cogeneration systems… but since it has taken majority control from Sanyo Electric things are going to get interesting.  Expect solar and battery technology for the home to really progress in the next few years.

Amazing… I wish I was a kid again.  A solar powered (more like solar charged) go-kart.  The electric go kart is powered by a 16Ah, 24V battery and 350 Watt DC motor and can reach speeds up to 15-mph. 

Features integrated 2×5W monocrystalline silicon solar panel that continuously recharges the go-kart’s 16Ah, 24V battery, while providing a full charge in 12 hours; can also charge battery with 120V AC in 4-6 hours.

The bummer for me is the weight limit of 78-lbs… guess I will have to hang on to the Prius for a bit longer.  Perfect green/fun gift for the kids in your life for only $399.99.

You gotta love solar… free energy from the sun…  Well NovoThink agrees and has the first Apple certified solar charger case for the iPhone and iPod.  The NovoThink Surge is a plastic case for your iphone 3G or 3Gs that charges your iPhone via solar power. The case, at least in the pictures, looks a bit clunky… will have to wait until I play with a sample before confirming that.