TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Method: In the method: the second operating mode comprises heating of the exhaust ducts; the extracting electricity occurs due to the Seebeck effect driven by a temperature difference across the thermoelectric generator; the thermoelectric generator is in thermal contact with engine coolant and with engine exhaust and the temperature difference is between the engine coolant and the engine exhaust; and the exhaust ducts are coupled to an exhaust gas collector and the thermoelectric generator extends to ducts associated with the exhaust gas collector.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The thermoelectric element is in thermal contact with the exhaust gas duct wall on a heat-supply side and is in thermal contact or in partial contact with the coolant channel on a heat-dissipation side. The thermoelectric element is in direct contact with coolant in the coolant channel, where the thermoelectric element is in contact with metal and the metal is in direct contact with coolant in the coolant channel. The cylinder head is configured for a multi-cylinder engine, where the cylinder head has two exhaust gas ducts for each cylinder and the exhaust gas collector collects exhaust gases from all exhaust gas ducts from all cylinders with a single exit from the exhaust gas collector. The cylinder head further comprises an exhaust pipe coupled to the exhaust gas collector, where the exhaust pipe has thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric elements are arranged around the periphery of all exhaust gas ducts. The cylinder head is disposed in a vehicle and electricity generated in the thermoelectric elements supplants at least part of current supply to the vehicle. The thermoelectric element is operated as a heater by applying current to the thermoelectric element. The exhaust gas collector is integral to the cylinder head. The exhaust gas collector comprises a separate part from the cylinder head portion having the exhaust ducts.