Japanese invent car that runs on water
source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080613/lf_nm_life/japan_car_water_dc;_ylt=A0WTUcAwDlRI0H0B2x5g.3QA
-
-
- Britny
- added this
Tired of petrol prices rising daily at the pump? A Japanese company has invented an electric-powered, and environmentally friendly, car that it says runs solely on water.
Genepax unveiled the car in the western city of Osaka on Thursday, saying that a liter (2.1 pints) of any kind of water -- rain, river or sea -- was all you needed to get the engine going for about an hour at a speed of 80 km (50 miles).
"The car will continue to run as long as you have a bottle of water to top up from time to time," Genepax CEO Kiyoshi Hirasawa told local broadcaster TV Tokyo.
"It does not require you to build up an infrastructure to recharge your batteries, which is usually the case for most electric cars," he added.
Once the water is poured into the tank at the back of the car, the a generator breaks it down and uses it to create electrical power, TV Tokyo said.
Whether the car makes it into showrooms remains to be seen. Genepax said it had just applied for a patent and is hoping to collaborate with Japanese auto manufacturers in the future.
Most big automakers, meanwhile, are working on fuel-cell cars that run on hydrogen and emit -- not consume -- water.
Genepax unveiled the car in the western city of Osaka on Thursday, saying that a liter (2.1 pints) of any kind of water -- rain, river or sea -- was all you needed to get the engine going for about an hour at a speed of 80 km (50 miles).
"The car will continue to run as long as you have a bottle of water to top up from time to time," Genepax CEO Kiyoshi Hirasawa told local broadcaster TV Tokyo.
"It does not require you to build up an infrastructure to recharge your batteries, which is usually the case for most electric cars," he added.
Once the water is poured into the tank at the back of the car, the a generator breaks it down and uses it to create electrical power, TV Tokyo said.
Whether the car makes it into showrooms remains to be seen. Genepax said it had just applied for a patent and is hoping to collaborate with Japanese auto manufacturers in the future.
Most big automakers, meanwhile, are working on fuel-cell cars that run on hydrogen and emit -- not consume -- water.
-
- groups:
- Green, Earth and Science, Car Culture
-
- tags:
- Green, Earth and Science, Oil, Japan, 6 more
-
-
Whiteraven
-
Agreed. More info needed. Though the ability to use sea water is really cool!
- 3 years ago
-
Whiteraven
-
-
Raulek
-
-
I would get a driving license just to drive one of those!
The future is bright :)
- 3 years ago
-
Raulek
-
-
jakes_green
-
easily the best thing since sliced bread.
- 3 years ago
-
jakes_green
-
-
BentFranklin
-
It's usually the case with these energy-from-water stories that they lack the explanation of how the car gets around the laws of thermodynamics.
- 3 years ago
-
BentFranklin
-
-
JaetheFirst
-
I wouldn't expect anything less from Japan. Innovation anyone? It's about time. I just hope this is valid news...shoo! I can already feel the cynics approaching with themes of incredulous attitudes. :) j/k. That's really cool news though. Thanks.
- 3 years ago
-
JaetheFirst
