Ohme Technologies Ltd, a British start-up, just launched a charger that can save over $500 a year. The company designed this product, an intelligent home charger for your electric vehicle, to draw only the cheapest energy.

It can be controlled by an app on your smartphone activated by your voice when you plug in your car. The car then charges based on how much power is needed for the next journey. It cuts costs by channeling more electricity at times when electricity is used less, so it’s cheaper.

Ohme has also made deals with electric companies like Octopus Electric that charge you according to time of use, which would come out to a fifth of the price of gasoline in the U.K.

According to Ohme, the advantages of using their system extend far beyond saving drivers money. In addition, this will reduce the electricity demand of the national grid at peak hours.

Environmentalists can rest easy with Ohme’s charger, as they can choose to only charge when the energy from renewable sources outweighs that originating in fossil fuels. The app can also save you money by extending the life of the battery by remaining at full charge for less time.

Chargers can be purchased for just over $500, or just over $250 when bought through Octopus Energy, with whom Ohme has a deal. Those who pre-ordered this product will find it delivered soon if it hasn’t already arrived. Once standard orders begin, they should arrive within 10 business days.

“Electric vehicle drivers have been crying out for an easy to use, cost-effective smart charging solution and Ohme is just that,” said Ohme CEO David Watson. “Not only will we help accelerate the mass adoption of EVs by revolutionizing the domestic charging landscape, we will take a lot of the capacity strain and financial stress off the electricity network operators.”

Did you know that more often than not, a restaurant actually has more to offer than the menu says it does? Sonic is no exception, and there may be special items you could order that you didn’t even know about. This article will cover some “hacks” that you can take advantage of when ordering from Sonic — 45 of them, to be exact! Get ready to find an excuse to order some fast food this week!

While the name evokes a certain image of a woodwind instrument or one of Goku’s buddies, Pickle-O’s are actually just deep-fried pickles. Fried pickles are common in southern states, but you can order them in northern states, too, since every Sonic has pickles and batter on hand.

Sure, this item may not be on the menu, but you can ask for it at almost any Sonic, and they’ll be more than happy to give it to you. If you’ve never tried fried pickles before, this is a great opportunity.

We all know that Sonic has a lot of slushies and whatnot, but not all of them are actually listed on the menu. Sonic Sunrise is one you can ask for that is made of orange juice and cherry limeade. In fact, you should ask Sonic employees if they have more slushies than the ones on the menu, as they often do.

You never know, you may be able to discover a brand new drink from Sonic that you really love. Eventually, you should just write down all of these hidden items for future reference.

Sonic makes a wider variety of burgers than you realize. The options you see on the menu are only a fraction of what they can actually make for you. To name a few that you don’t see on the menu, there’s the Super Sonic Jalapeño Cheeseburger and the Dixie Cheeseburger.

This isn’t even really a hack per se, but you can just ask for burgers you know about that aren’t on the menu, or ask about the list of burgers available that you can’t readily see. Of course, some burgers may not be available at all Sonic restaurants, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Indeed, Sprite is not inherently purple. And ironically, this Sonic slushie does not include any sort of grape flavor. It’s actually lemonade, Powerade, Sprite, and cranberry juice. It’s definitely one of the weirder combinations that you can request from Sonic, but it is what it is.

Granted, you may not be able to get this from every Sonic, but if you want to give it a try, then you may as well ask for it. The worst that can happen is that you don’t get it.

Grilled cheese is an item that you can get at Sonic already, and while this may not seem like much of a hack, few people are aware that you are able to ask for ham with the sandwich — if you want it, that is. As you’ll probably come to realize as far as this list is concerned, a lot of these hacks really come down to simply asking!

Of course, maybe Sonic should just ask their customers if they would like ham with their sandwich whenever they order a grilled cheese. That seems like it would be pretty reasonable to us.

A rather popular dish in the south, Frito Pie is actually pretty straightforward — it’s a bunch of Fritos with chili and nacho cheese on top. Crazy delicious and potentially available at a Sonic near you. As we said, it’s more likely to be found in the south, but you may as well try to get your hands on it no matter where you are.

Really, with Sonic’s electronic menus in the parking lot, you would think they would have a way to just let you swipe and see even more of their menu items.

Now we’re going to get into some actual Sonic menu hacks. First and foremost is their slushies — you can actually make any one of their drinks a slushie. Any soda that you want to be a slushie? Done. Moreover, you can even ask for a flavorless slushie.

Why would you want a flavorless slushie? Well, if you have some flavor at home that you want to put into your slushie, you can.

Want to get more drink for your money? Order a cup of ice first, then order a small drink with no ice. Because the ice doesn’t take up space in the cup with the actual drink, you get a little bit more of your drink for the same price.

Of course, whether or not you think that’s worth it is a different question entirely. After all, it’s a bit of a hassle to ultimately get just a bit more drink, but it is what it is. Still, you could get more for less, if you really wanted to.

Few people know this, but the cheese used for Sonic cheese tots and Sonic chili cheese tots is not the same cheese. The regular cheese tots get good old American cheese, while the chili cheese tots get shredded cheese. You can ask for one or the other, as they usually don’t give you both.

It’s a small hack, but still a way you can add a little variety into your Sonic visit if you feel that it has been getting a little stale recently.

Apparently, you can ask your Sonic if they sell their chili by the bag. If you just really, really like their chili — according to the internet, the price comes out to around nine bucks a bag, that is if they’re willing to sell it to you.

There’s no guarantee that every single Sonic will do this, but it never hurts to ask. Besides, if you can get your Sonic to do this, you’d definitely be saving on chili in the long run.

We mentioned Frito chili pie already, but despite this item not being a regular on Sonic menus, you can usually still order it — or even a wrap version of it. On top of that, you can often order a BLT from Sonic as well, if you just have a craving for such a thing.

These aren’t hacks per se, but knowing these inside secrets can make your trip to Sonic that much more satisfying! And with that, we say, you’re welcome.

Are regular tots just not doing it for you? Well, there’s another secret menu item from Sonic that you may not know about — Extreme Tots. This includes chili cheese tater tots with jalapeños, grilled onions, and ranch dressing.

Like many of the other non-listed menu items, it’s not guaranteed that you’d be able to order this at every Sonic across the country, but many do carry the item.

Do you like the idea of dipping your chicken tenders or popcorn chicken in different sauces? Well, you don’t have to settle for what Sonic outright offers on their menu. You can ask them to toss your chicken in any of their available sauces. This is more of a little known fact than a hack, we suppose.

Even so, it’s something that not a lot of people know they can do at Sonic, so we’ve elected to include it on this list for your viewing pleasure.

This is less of a hack and more of a bit of insider knowledge, though when you think about it, it’s probably true for all fast-food restaurants. The onion rings at Sonic are made in the morning, so if you really like them, that would be the best time to order.

Of course, this is true for all fast-food eateries, as we just mentioned. If you want their freshest food, it’s important to visit at times that they’re likely to have just prepared everything.

There are a few food items from Sonic that are always made fresh, and you should take special note of them. This includes mozzarella sticks and cheddar peppers! If you want to enjoy fresh items every time you go to Sonic, these are the things to get. They are never pre-made.

Well, at least they aren’t supposed to be pre-made. No guarantee that every Sonic employee follows this general rule, but if you’re lucky, they actually do what they’re supposed to.

Even if you really love the Sonic breakfast menu, you don’t have to rush out first thing in the morning just to get your order. It turns out that you can actually order items from the breakfast menu at any time of the day. You just may have not really noticed these items during the lunch or dinner rush.

But, like many of the mentions on this list, this hack is just about the fact that you have to ask for these said breakfast items.

Sonic doesn’t actually sell ham and cheese in and of itself, but if you want such a sandwich from Sonic anyway, there is a way to make it happen. Simply order a toaster of ham, egg, and cheese — but ask them to leave the egg off. This way, you can have that ham and cheese sandwich you’ve been craving all day!

It might seem a little odd to intentionally do this, but sometimes you don’t need something fancy, and a good ham and cheese sandwich is more than enough. Of course, you could do this with any toaster that includes egg, such as the sausage one.

Sonic is well known for their many cold treats — mostly slushies, but also for their milkshakes and ice cream. During the summer, many of these treats are half off. Different Sonic restaurants may have slightly different timetables or schedules, but much like their happy hours, you can get ice cream, slushies, and milkshakes for a cheaper price.

Do a little research on your local Sonic and you may soon be saving a lot of money on all of your favorite cold treats!

Eager to learn about another secret menu item from Sonic? Get ready for the Ringleader — it’s a bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions and onion rings, and with that, the name makes so much more sense. Clever! Naturally, this is an item for onion lovers.

Now, if you love onions yourself, then the Ringleader is definitely something you may have been missing out on all this time! Go ahead and ask for it the next time you pay Sonic a visit.

For many of us, certain food items just aren’t complete without sauce. And sometimes, we feel that there isn’t enough sauce to go around. However, something that many people don’t know is that sauces at Sonic are free, and you can ask for as many as you need — or want, for that matter!

Of course, you might get an exasperated look or two from an employee, but either way, they still have to give you all the sauce you feel like asking for, so take advantage!

The mint you often get in your Sonic bag may not seem like a big deal, and honestly, this isn’t a hack — but it is something to keep in mind. You are always supposed to get a mint in your bag when you order from Sonic. It’s part of their principle.

So, if you don’t get a mint with your next order, you can definitely point out that it’s missing. Though, of course, most people don’t go to Sonic for their mints.

Here comes another secret menu item that you can order from Sonic even though you can’t see it on the menu, and it’s called the Hickory Burger. It’s only a slight modification, but this burger — smothered in hickory-smoked sauce and topped with an onion ring — is truly delicious.

You should be able to order this burger at just about any Sonic, but just to be cautious, we’d like to point out that it also depends on your geographical location.

This is less of a hack and more of some insider knowledge about how Sonic runs. What’s the difference between a blast and a shake? A shake is anything you can drink through a straw. A blast, on the other hand, is made of hard ice cream and hard candy, so you can’t get it with a straw.

If you were unclear about the difference when trying to decide whether you should get a shake or blast, this bit of insider knowledge may make it a little easier to order what you really want.

The Blue Coconut drink at Sonic is fairly popular. On top of that, Ocean Water is another option that you can get from Sonic. However, these two drinks are actually the same thing. Ocean Water is just the Blue Coconut beverage, but with Sprite.

Of course, that’s a little different, but that means you can easily make the Blue Coconut drink on your own time with your own ingredients, and probably for less money.

If you really like Sonic tater tots, you can actually add them to a few more dishes than you may think. For instance, you can add tater tots to a Jr. Burrito for no extra charge. Honestly, tots in a burrito is kind of an odd combination, but some people love it!

To each their own! After all, weird combination or not, we have no doubt that it’s delicious. And hey, it never hurts to get more food without having to spend any extra money.

Here comes another secret menu item that you can order, called the Java Chiller. Technically, you may have to ask for it very specifically, as it is a chocolate shake made with hard ice cream and coffee. Sounds delicious to us, so we may feel inclined to ask for it ourselves next time.

Although this is an item that we hope you can get at any Sonic, it’s important to remember that some secret menu items vary depending on your location. Still doesn’t hurt to ask, though.

A combination of pineapple, Sprite, orange, and cherry — this is another secret menu item at Sonic, called the Pink Flamingo. Honestly, we’re curious as to why so many of these amazing beverages aren’t actually listed on the menu, but maybe there’s just not enough room to fit everything.

Either way, this is definitely something we’re eager to try at some point. When summer rolls around again, it’ll be a good time to try all of these secret Sonic drinks.

Most restaurants have surveys they want you to fill out, and most customers ignore them or just forget about them. But, if you fill out these surveys, you can usually get free food or drinks out of it. It’s no different at Sonic. If you fill out the survey at the bottom of your receipt, you can get a free Route 44 soft drink.

Of course, depending on where your Sonic is, you may have an opportunity to get different menu items. Either way, it’s a surefire way to get free food, which is always a good thing!

Here we have yet another secret menu item you can order from Sonic, called the Sweet Tart Slush. No SweetTarts are involved. The drink is made up of Sprite, Powerade, lemonade, and cranberry juice, making for a delicious combination of sweet and tart — as the name implies.

It’s definitely something you should give a try the next time you pay a visit to Sonic. Then again, with this list, you’ll have all sorts of things to try!

This may not seem like much of a hack, but there are a lot of people in the world that don’t know they can order a Dr. Pepper float from Sonic, despite its absence on the menu. This is a well-loved drink across most of the country, so everyone should be happy to know this.

There’s really no time of year in which you can’t order a Dr. Pepper float, so next time you’re in the Sonic parking lot, listen to your cravings and get what you want!

While you can get any kind of sauce you want with your popcorn chicken, few people know that there’s actually a Sonic variant of popcorn chicken for the more extreme customers. Extreme popcorn chicken has chili and cheese on it — if that’s your cup of tea.

Of course, Sonic’s chili is pretty popular, which is probably why there are so many ways to add chili to their large variety of food items.

French Fry Sauce is something that’s pretty popular in many parts of the world, but many Americans don’t even know it exists, or that Sonic has it available. Next time you need sauce, ask for French Fry Sauce and give it a shot. Usually, such sauce is a mix of mayonnaise and ketchup.

That said, there are many variants of this sauce. Either way, many Sonic fans agree that the French Fry Sauce from this restaurant is amazing.

Some secret menu items from Sonic are less established, and basically entails you asking for something extra or something less. To get the vanilla cream Dr. Pepper float, you just ask for a Dr. Pepper float without any ice cream added to it.

Super fancy? Maybe not, but it definitely sounds like it would be tasty, so we’re putting it on our bucket list for drinks to try at Sonic in the coming months.

When ordering ice cream at Sonic, you may be inclined to think that the only topping you can get is the advertised one. However, this just isn’t true. You can ask for any topping you want on your ice cream at no extra charge.

It’s kind of like eating at a dedicated ice cream joint, except notably cheaper and probably a little faster as well. Either way, it’s definitely something to keep in mind next time you order.

Less of a hack and more like useful information — people who love eating at Sonic should consider using the Sonic app, which can give you information in regards to deals, freebies, 1/2 drinks and treats, and more. In fact, if you order through the mobile app, you can often get a free food item.

And, of course, it doesn’t cost anything to use the Sonic app, so ignoring the potential it has is really just throwing away a bunch of money.

Most people don’t think of salad when they think of Sonic, but the restaurant does offer this healthy alternative, too. You can get many things in those salads upon request including grilled chicken, popcorn chicken, and much more. This isn’t much of a hack, but those salads aren’t always listed on the menu.

That being the case, we feel they should be mentioned in this article. Don’t be afraid to ask for what salads Sonic has available if you feel like eating something fresh.

When it comes to burgers, while Sonic does have many defined recipes and secret burgers, you can almost always get your burger made to order. All you have to do is ask. As long as you ask, Sonic will let you choose any combination of patties, toppings, sauces, and more.

Sure, it may take a little longer to order, but that’s a small price to pay if you want to get your dream burger at a reasonable price.

We know, we know — your mouth is likely agape, or you’re cocking an eyebrow at your screen. But, this is truly the name of this special drink from Sonic. Don’t ask us who named it. Name aside, this drink is a fairly simple combination of Dr. Pepper, lemonade, and Powerade.

It’s actually pretty darn popular among Sonic fans, as it’s one of the tastiest drinks you can order at the fast-food joint. It may have a weird name and an even weirder color, but it’s indisputably delicious.

Whenever a food item has a name like this, we have to feel a little wary, because it’s probably not all that healthy. However, The Heart Attack is definitely delicious. It’s an order of large chili cheese tots, with five chicken strips on top.

On top of all of that is bacon, ranch, and some jalapeños — if you want them. Needless to say, it’s something only the adventurous will want to eat, probably because of the crazy combination of flavors.

Remember when Sonic told the internet that they could get pickle slushies? We don’t know why anyone would want that, but some people really like pickles. Thing is, you can add pickle flavor to anything on the menu. Literally anything. Chicken? Yep. Fries? Done.

Burgers, ice cream, slushies, beverages? You can add pickles to anything you want to add pickles to. We just don’t know why something like that would be considered desirable, but some folks have weird tastes.

One of the things about Sonic is that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to asking for the things you want. Sonic is very well known for their drinks, but that’s because they have so many variations — 168,894, allegedly. You could probably make even crazier combinations.

Basically, you can ask for whatever kind of crazy combination you want. You aren’t limited to the exact combinations that are listed on the menu.

Most people know about Sonic’s happy hour already, as it is one of the restaurant’s most prominent features — but just in case you didn’t know, we’ll mention it here. Nearly every Sonic offers drinks like slushies and milkshakes at half off from two to four in the afternoon (2:00 pm – 4:00 pm).

So, if you’re out and about in town around that time and have a craving for a milkshake, Sonic is one of the best places to go, since they have so many options and all for a great price!

Unfortunately, this isn’t a hack you can take advantage of just anywhere. There is one particular Sonic location in Miami that’s very different from all of the others. For one, it’s on a beach. Two, it’s far more adult-oriented, even going so far as to offer booze.

Either way, it’s probably the most unique Sonic location around, so it would certainly be worth a visit if one was ever to stop in Miami.

We’ve already mentioned using the app, but when it comes to Sonic, you should pay attention to their website as well. By keeping up with their news, you can find out about the many great offers that pop up every once in a while — like 99 cent drinks before 10 in the morning.

In fact, in early November, people were able to get 99 cent popcorn chicken for a day. Stay up-to-date with Sonic news and you’ll never miss the opportunity to get good food for a cheap price!

Alright. We know we’ve already talked a lot about putting pickles on everything and getting any combo of drinks you want, but before you settle for that, just know that there’s really no limit to what you can ask for. If they have the ingredients to make it happen, chances are that Sonic will do it for you.

Want something weird in your burger? Something strange in your slushie? They may judge you silently, but they’ll probably let you have it if you make a specific request.

Depending on the situation, you may have to buy bags of ice sometimes. The thing is, you can do this at some Sonic locations if you need to. Oftentimes, their 10-pound bags of ice are sold for five bucks or less. So, if you need a little ice and don’t feel like stopping by the grocery store, just head to Sonic!

Of course, being that Sonic is franchise-based, there’s no guarantee every location will do this for you, but you only have to ask once to see if your local Sonic is a viable ice provider.