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Electric car maker Zap says it's iZap battery pack for video iPods can triple the charge in Apple's new iPhone.

Apple pulled a late-in-game surprise when it announced just before the iPhone launch that its soon-to-be popular handset would offer up to 8 hours of talk time on a single battery charge—much more than your typical smartphone. However, that doesn't mean heavy users still won't need a little pick-me-up along the way, and that's where electric car pioneer Zap comes in: the company has determined that its iZap 2100mAh battery pack original made for video-capable iPods works like a charm on the iPhone, potentially tripling its charge time.

"Frankly, if an iPod runs out of power, losing your music and video is not as critical to your business trip as the iPhone," said Steve Schneider, Zap's CEO, in a statement. "The iZap and iPhone are compatible right out of the box, almost like they were made for one another. You don't need to buy additional connectors or cords and with the iZap cradle you can recharge your iPhone right on your belt."

iPod accessories aren't Zap's primary market: instead, the iZap is the by-product of the company's research into battery technologies for use in electric vehicles, and it has sold over 100,000 vehicles to users in more than 75 countries. The lithium-ion iZap can be charged up to 1,000 times, and holds four times the charge of conventional batteries.