The 50 Best Inventions of 2010

It's the chicken-and-egg problem of electric vehicles: until there's a network of road-embedded rechargers (see No. 17) or a series of stations where drivers can charge their batteries — similar to the gas stations we depend on now — an electric car is inherently limited. Coulomb Technologies is working to break that deadlock. The company is building a system of automated charging stations in public places that are connected to utilities, so the charge for your charge can be added to your home electricity bill. And if your utility hasn't partnered with Coulomb, you can call a toll-free number and pay with your credit card.