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Flux Capacitor charger turns any ride into a DeLorean time machine

Go back to the future every time you climb into your car with a USB car charger designed to look like the glowing creation from Doc Brown's DeLorean.

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

Flex capacitor USB car charger
Be sure to turn this on if you ever reach 88 mph. ThinkGeek

Every "Back to the Future" fan wants a DeLorean. But you can't have a DeLorean because they're rare and expensive. The next best thing is to outfit your Prius, Pinto, or Le Car with a Flux Capacitor USB Car Charger so a little bit of that time-traveling DeLorean glory rubs off on your humble ride.

The flux capacitor charger started life earlier this year as an April Fool's joke from ThinkGeek. As sometimes happens with fictional products, fan demand encouraged ThinkGeek to make it real. The product's unveiling is timed to mesh with San Diego Comic-Con, though it won't be available to order until September. The joke product came with a $39.99 price, but the real item will only put you back $24.99.

What you'll get is a scaled-down version of the device that helps Doc Brown's DeLorean drive through time itself. It plugs into the power port (cigarette lighter port) of your car and provides two USB ports for charging your gadgets. Just remember, your smartphone will no longer work for making phone calls when you accidentally travel back in time to the 1950s.

The best part of the contraption is the lighting effects. The bulbs inside pulse with light, just like the flux capacitor in the films. It has an on/off switch, so you can choose to just turn it on when you want to impress your passengers. You'll need to supply your own Marty McFly vest and, unfortunately, there is no functioning Mr. Fusion available on the market yet.