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A prototype hydrogen-powered station wagon triggered a bomb squad callout and evacuation on the North Shore.
Robert Beasley had left his vehicle parked in the Wairau Valley after it broke down, and the suspicious-looking apparatus inside piqued the interest of passers-by.
A security guard called police late on Sunday night when he saw a large cylinder in the back seat with wires connecting it to the dashboard.
Police were called, and fearing it was a complex explosive device, cleared people from a radius of about 300m from the car, including the occupants of a cinema.
The bomb squad smashed the rear window of the vehicle to get a closer look before police tracked down Mr Beasley early yesterday and established it was a harmless device.
Senior Sergeant Rod Fraser said the vehicle was obviously in its "prototype stages".
He said Mr Beasley had shown a "degree of naivety" by leaving it where the suspicious-looking device could be seen.
Mr Fraser said no charges would be laid because it was not a malicious act.
