Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Include Vacuum Cleaners at Car Charging Points

You have 20 mins with nothing to do... so let's clean up a bit.
  (+7, -1)
(+7, -1)
 

This isn't a complicated idea - I'll keep the explanation to a minimum.

On a recent long journey I stopped for fuel and in the 3 minutes it took, I had enough time to notice that the process of driving a few hundred miles had increased the amount of snack-related detritus in my car.

If my car was electric, I'd have to stand about for 20 mins or so. This would be an excellent time to vacuum out some of that detritus, or better still, to command the child that likely made the mess to do it. We can guarantee charging points have electricity, and that's all you really need for a vacuum. Trivial to make sure it's only enabled while the car is charging to prevent people with ICE cars like me abusing it as I surely would if I could.

While we're at it, add a tire inflator. This can impact range significantly. So let's have a simple fix.

bs0u0155, Jul 14 2026





       I'm only halfway through my first cup of coffee, but this doesn't feel like a halfbakery idea to me.
normzone, Jul 14 2026
  

       What Norm said. Plus, it creates several logistical issues that will not be free of cost to address. Those vacuums have to be emptied regularly, and require much more frequent maintenance than the charging stations.
21 Quest, Jul 14 2026
  

       [+] for the tyre inflater.   

       It is a little vexing to have to make occasional trips to a petrol station for no other purpose than tyre inflation. Also, some of the petrol stations near me have closed down recently, EV uptake being quite brisk hereabouts.
pertinax, Jul 15 2026
  

       //Those vacuums have to be emptied regularly,//   

       I was going to go with a similar style to the ones I see at car washes - they have a vortex-type separator with a flap opening at the bottom. When running, the flap is sucked into the closed position - detritus builds up in the vortex separator. When switched off, the flap opens and all the collected stuff drops into an open bin, typically a badly disguised old oil drum.
bs0u0155, Jul 15 2026
  

       Maybe have the dirt go into a disposable bag you remove and put into a nearby garbage can.   

       Or just have it go directly into an attached garbage can that gets emptied once a month or something.
doctorremulac3, Jul 16 2026
  

       That's not my fishbone btw!
21 Quest, Jul 16 2026
  
         


 

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