This week’s SmartCar roundup features a plan for a smart city, a smart boat for all your nautical needs, and a $40 device to help you find your parked car.

Smart Cities

Electric vehicles are reaching a point of abundance, and as manufacturers are focusing on releasing more electric vehicles in the market, the problem remains that our cities are not yet equipped to cater to all of these electric-powered vehicles.  Right now, gasoline stations can be found just about anywhere, even in a small city, but charging stations aren’t so readily available.  And electric cars that require charging face a unique set of needs, rendering the existing infrastructure of gas stations nearly useless for charging stations.

Albert Lam and his team at the Hong Kong Baptist University have come up with algorithms to demonstrate how cities can go about building the proper infrastructure to support charging stations.  Lam and co. stated that there are three conditions to be met:

• charging stations must be distanced in a way that a fully charged EV can get to the next station with still juice in it
• the number EVs in a certain area should be considered, then each station should be able to accommodate a significant portion of the EV population
• charging stations should cover the whole city, which means EV owners can travel the city by being able to charge from one station to another.

The most crucial part of this plan is the construction of the charging stations itself as a lot of safety precautions should be put in place in these stations since it will be giving of electricity.  Their work is an important part of the larger discussions needed to rebuild the world’s infrastructure for smart cars.

The Jet Capsule

The Jet Capsule is a compact boat with a top speed of 40 mph and is now for sale for £126,000 or about $200,000 for a basic version, while a ‘VIP configuration’ costs £214,000 or about $343,000.

The Jet Capsule measures 24’6 feet (7.5 meters) long and 11’5 feet (3.5 metres) wide.  Though that may seem small for some boat lovers, it can be spacious if you pick the right interior.  It can be customized to be made into a water taxi to fit more people, or become a luxury getaway vehicle for up to four, or turned in into a water-friendly party place complete with a bar and a seating area.

What makes this boat smart is that it’s compact and light.  The body is made up of carbon fiber, so it can be docked in a port without requiring too much space, and with roads getting too congested, waterways may be the next best way to get to places faster.

Elgato Smart Key

There are many crowdfunding projects that promise to help you keep track of things, but the problem is there’s a huge chance they won’t come to market.  So if you are still looking for a way to help you keep track of your things like your keys or your car, or get reminders when you need to, why not purchase an Elgato Smart Key?

The device is only $40 and the device connects with your iDevice running iOS 7 via Bluetooth 4.0.  You can use the device for a number of things, such as keeping track of your house keys, your luggage when you are travelling, where you parked your car, or tasks you need to do.

The Smart Key is IP65 certified, which means it is completely dust-proof and can withstand heavy water spray.  The battery on the device can easily be replaced, and lasts about six months.