I’ve tried many ways to keep our car tires inflated, but since we don’t go to gas stations anymore (because EVs), the most convenient way I’ve found to inflate tires (autos and bikes) is with a cheap compact cordless pump that is powered by a cordless tool battery. Since I always have at least one cordless tool battery charged, I can grab this small hand-held, walk to the tire and pump it up instantly. I’m on the Dewalt battery system so I got this no-brand Foduuo Cordless Tire Inflator for $30, that works fine.
— KK

I didn’t know how handy this little car door step gadget would be until I started using it to wash the roof of my car. It fits on the latch of most cars, giving you a boost of a couple of feet off the ground. Most people use them to get access to their car’s luggage rack. — MF

We love our all electric Chevy Bolt, which we’d had for 5 years. It gets 260 miles on a charge, with 200 horsepower, which has been plenty for our needs. The 2023 model goes for $26,000, but regrettably GM is going to stop making them and sell only a more expensive base model. Since the Bolt is the most affordable decent American electric car available, you can still get one now while the inventory lasts. — KK

EVs, like Teslas, are fantastic! But there are a lot of other electric cars besides Teslas. We love our small Chevy Bolt all electric. We’ve not been to a gas station for 5 years. (One unexpected benefit, no smog testing needed!) To give you an idea of the variety of EVs now available, Wired has a helpful roundup of 17 brand new EVs being introduced in 2023. The choices will continue to deepen. — KK

Don’t laugh but I often eat my lunch in my car – while listening to podcasts. This generic lightweight plastic car tray has changed my life. It hangs on the steering wheel and makes a level tray for a sandwich and drink. No more food messes! It can also serve as a mobile office platform to write on or support a tablet or very small laptop. There are no moving parts; its shape ingeniously holds it level on most steering wheels. Don’t like plastic? You can find bamboo versions on Amazon. A tray like this is such a boon that I traced its shape and cut it out on scrap plywood to make a second one for my van. — KK

Repairing even a small dent in a car to its immaculate like-new condition is very expensive. But a new technique called PDR, can bring it back to a good-enough state. This Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) uses hot glue to attached grips to the outside in order to pull out the dent to its former shape, and then buffs out any scrapes, without taking panels off or repainting. This hand craft requires decent skill but only minimal tools so lots of small-time mobile practitioners outside of a body shop use it. Of course you can also buy a beginner’s PDR Kit for $35 and try it yourself with help from YouTube. Otherwise, if you have a dent or ding without paint damage, google “PDR near to me” for local service. — KK

We have a small all-electric car (Chevy Bolt) that does not carry a spare tire. Instead it is outfitted with Michelin Selfseal Tires. I was a little dubious these would work, but recently I had a tire puncture from a large screw in the tread, and the system worked well. The self-healing goo inside the tire kept the air in despite the puncture. But the screw was too big to remain. So in my garage at home, I pulled the screw out with pliers, which initially let some air out. Overnight the tire half-deflated. Next day I pumped it up again, let it sit for a few hours and it was as good as new. No issues. While this won’t work for gashes or huge punctures, I’d certainly consider Selfsealing tires for my next car. — KK

In a pinch you can use a bicycle pump to inflate the tires of a car. Both use the same valve. Most automobile tires are lower pressure than a bicycle, but they have far more volume, which requires more pumps. You don’t want to use a bike pump for a flat car tire, but it’s a quick way to top off a tire if the pressure is a little low. I keep my favorite Topeak Joe Blow bike pump in the garage for just this purpose. (Since we have an electric car we never go to the gas station.) — KK

When you rent or borrow a car and you pull up to a gas station to fill it up, what side is the gas tank on? Look down. In the gas gauge on your dashboard there’s a little arrow to the side of the fuel pump icon. Its direction — left or right — will accurately point to the gas tank side. — KK

One of our Cool Tools readers, Jon Bonesteel, recommended Rain-X Waterless car wash. He wrote, “This stuff is magic! It saves a LOT of water and washes a car better than soap and water. The resulting finish beads water like wax and it’s so easy. I was skeptical, but I will never wash a car with water again.” I decided to try it myself and I agree with him. It’s easy to use and my car is shinier than it’s ever been. — MF