TIME's Best Inventions of 2008
From a genetic testing service to an invisibility cloak to an ingenious public bike system to the world's first moving skyscraper — here are TIME's picks for the top innovations of 2008
7. The Chevy Volt
No-emission electric motors — which began the automobile revolution — are the technology of tomorrow for cars. But today's batteries can't support the typical driving experience. Chevy's Volt is a nice compromise. The sedan has an electric motor with a battery that can provide up to 40 miles (about 65 km) of range on a single charge. A gas engine kicks in to recharge the battery while you're driving. Since nearly 80% of us drive less than 40 miles a day, that means that unlike the Prius, the Volt could get drivers off gas altogether. The best of both worlds lands by the end of 2010.
See the history of the electric car.
View the full list for "TIME's Best Inventions of 2008"Latest Lists
Most Popular »
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell
- Scientology : The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power
- Workers of the World vs. China Inc.
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- Why Ireland Is Running Out of Priests
- Germany's Doubts About Afghanistan Grow After Revelations About Air Strike
- Backing Up Files Online: It's Good to Mozy Along
- Florida Grapples With Its Deadly Hit-and-Run Car Culture
- Energizer Bunnies: Turning Rabbits into Green Fuel
- Obama's 'Mistakes': Way Too Early to Judge
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- Backing Up Files Online: It's Good to Mozy Along
- Workers of the World vs. China Inc.
- Why Ireland Is Running Out of Priests
- Scientology : The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell
- How Guatemala's Most Beautiful Lake Turned Ugly
- Energizer Bunnies: Turning Rabbits into Green Fuel
- Obama's 'Mistakes': Way Too Early to Judge
- Sex, Television and Berlusconi's Path to Power
RSS