Battery-powered 'Black Current' VW Beetle flaunts itself in drag (video)

Electric supercars have been hitting some crazy speeds recently, but this is on another level. The Black Current is a Volkswagen Beetle reborn as an electric drag racer. It hits 135mph and demolishes the quarter-mile straight in 9.51 seconds. What's more, it does it quietly -- all you can hear is the delicious screech of sticky rubber. Plug into the video after the break for a taste of what it's like behind the wheel. And can someone please explain why that other car on the left even bothered to turn up?

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Fullychargedshow (YouTube)

Scarpar off-road powerboard coming December 2011, just in time to replace Santa's sleigh

It's been a little over two years since we first came across Scarpar's all-terrain powerboard, and now it's just about ready to hit the streets, or mountains, or whatever. The Australian startup is currently accepting reservations for its surprisingly powerful electric skateboards -- now in two flavors. Scarpar's Model X comes equipped with two 1.5-kilowatt DC Motors and tops out at 28MPH, while the Model S offers two 750-watt motors and hits 18MPH. You can reserve one now for $500 or $600, depending on how much power you want under your feet, but be prepared to shell out either $2,800 or $3,800 when it's finally time to buy. Scarpar expects the things to ship sometime in December, so don't go making any summer vacation plans for you and your new off-roader just yet.

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YikeBike unveils less-expensive folding electric bike, Jackie Chan dons celebratory tuxedo

Our main complaint with the folding electric YikeBike -- besides the not-quite-catchy name – was the $3,795 price tag. The company's trying to ease the price pain with the Fusion, a new model that'll cost you $1,995. The savings come from replacing the carbon fiber body with aluminum and composites, which does, unfortunately, add about 6.6 pounds, pushing the total weight over 30 pounds. But that shouldn't hamper portability, and you'll still get six miles of travel on a single charge (or 12 miles with an optional battery backpack). YikeBike will sell the cheaper model through a network of distributors, allowing it to expand its customer base beyond the 250 bikes sold so far, to, among others, Google and Jackie Chan. So if you previously couldn't afford to follow in the kung fu master's tracks, well, now you have one less excuse.

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