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CO2ube filters out carbon dioxide from your tailpipe

The CO2ube Kickstarter project filters out carbon dioxide at the scene of the crime: your car's tailpipe.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read
CO2ube
Rein in your car's carbon dioxide emissions. Ecoviator

Carbon dioxide emissions have been linked to all sorts of environmental ills. Improvements in car design are helping the issue, but the CO2ube Kickstarter project wants to take carbon dioxide filtration to any car on the road.

The CO2ube attaches onto the end of your tailpipe using hose clamps. A combination of algae and sodium hydroxide filters out the carbon dioxide as it exits from car.

A single CO2ube is going for a pledge price of $45. The company behind the product, Ecoviate, has created working prototypes and is looking to produce the device in quantity. A smartphone app is also intended to accompany the CO2ube. The app would let you track your emissions over time.

The CO2ube will definitely make you think more about what's coming out of your tailpipe, but there are some drawbacks to the system. The filter lasts eight to 10 weeks, so you would have to change it out every couple of months. There is a year's-supply pledge level on Kickstarter, coming in at $500. It could be a hard sell, however, to convince the masses to attach a fresh device to their tailpipes at least five times every year.

The CO2ube could end up being a good start in democratizing carbon dioxide filtration systems. The creators hope to qualify the device for a tax credit and gain approval for CO2ube-equipped cars to ride in HOV lanes without meeting the minimum occupant requirement. If these bonuses go through, it could help improve the attractiveness of the product for commuters.