Futuristic toy car runs on tap water

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by hacon1, Feb 8, 2008.


  1. hacon1

    hacon1 Monkey+++

    Nifty, but really this is simply a battery powered toy... but the masses don't know or care... they simply buy the hype and hysteria...



    Quote:
    <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">From The Times
    February 7, 2008
    Futuristic toy car runs on tap water
    The new hydrogen fuel cell powered radio controlled car from Corgi

    The new hydrogen fuel cell powered radio controlled car from Corgi
    Lewis Smith

    A remote-control car produced by the toymaker Corgi is the first household item to be powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology.

    The car, called H2GO, uses hydrogen derived from tap water as its fuel and was developed by the Leicester-based company in partnership with Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, an international firm based in Shanghai that hopes to extend the technology to home appliances.

    The hydrogen is separated from oxygen in the tap water via a miniaturised unit powered by a rechargeable battery. A tiny solar panel to charge the battery is an optional extra. The H2GO, which is billed as the first “zero emissions” remote-control toy, went on show at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair. It is expected to sell for £130 from September.

    Source </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
     
  2. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    Not hype, real. The "big deal" is not where the power comes from. It is the process of being able to turn the hydrogen back into electrical power. It titalates the masses by the question..... If a toy manufacturer can mass produce it to put it in toys why can't the automobile manufacturers do the same with cars ?
     
  3. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    If we assume that the mass of the toy is directly scalable to a full size automobile, I estimate it would cost you (E) 325,000. There is a problem here with cost benefit. The sheep will be surprised --
     
  4. hacon1

    hacon1 Monkey+++


    My thoughts exactly!!!!!!
     
  5. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++


    This is the effort of a single toy manufacturer. Hopefully the abilities of an entire automobile industry will find ways to reduce production costs to within reach.

    We really have no choice we must. The supply of oil is finite we all agree to that. We just don't all agree on how much is left. When what is left runs out if we don't already have an alternative we go back to walking and horse drawn carriage. So we MUST find a way to make electric fesable.
     
  6. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    When (not if) the economy of scale kicks in, electric vehicles will become common and way less expensive than currently. There are new technologies in the works, particularly with energy storage (read that as batteries or capacitors) and with fuel cells, both of which cannot yet be economically produced. Limitations on batteries are power density and charging rates, both of which will be overcome in the fairly near future. Fuel cells are also verging on solving problems of the energy density and "poisoning" of the catalysts prematurely. Once those problems are solved, resulting in longer cruising ranges and ease and cost of maintenance, then economies of scale in production can kick in.

    Bear in mind that recharging with commercial power does NOT reduce the demand for dead dinosaur feedstocks at the power plants, fact is, it will go up in direct proportion to the reduced demand at the pumps. In fact, it costs more by virtue of the twin losses in efficiency; one at the generating and transmission end, the other in conversion in the vehicle.

    Easing the demand for dead dinosaurs will take a few other things besides electric vehicles. Better use (increased power plant efficiency in those that burn coal and oil) and much heavier reliance on nuclear central stations for starters, as well as increased use of wind and solar AND demand reduction. The mix is the trick. Take one whacko idea of paving the Sonora desert with solar panels (easily done, but not cheap) then set guards all around to keep the greens from destroying the panels because they interfere with the desert ecology, and you can see how far that scheme will get you.
     
  7. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    I understand totaly. But dealing with a centralized location (plant) is much easier than dealing with millions of separate power producers (cars). Easier to make more efficient. Easier to switch to another source of fuel (coal, natural gas, nuclear, etc). Getting off dino is much easier once we make the transition to electric vehicles.
     
  8. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    Besides electrics offer beyond muscle car performance. 100% torque available at 0 rpm . Just stick in some loud speakers to blast gas engine noise as you leave behind the other car at the light.
     
  9. Blackjack

    Blackjack Monkey+++

  10. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    Chip, an engineer friend of mine from Mobile (hi CHip, if you see this) bought me one of these for Christmas. I have shown it to quite a few folks and we all wonder the same thing.
    Actually, you need to use distilled water; the chlorine in tap water will cause it to corrode and degenerate the cell.
     
  11. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    There are several variations in R&D for both electric and H cars. They wil increase the need for electric but it would be a LOT easier to build a few nuke power plants to feed that need along with wind, tidal/wave generated energy plants, hydro electric, etc than to switch all the cars over to safe nuke poer or some such.

    Also, sory Hartage, but cant all agree that oil is exactly finite. The rate at which it renews IS VERY slow but it is in fact renewable. It is formed from decomposed vegetation as well as animals and more carbon based life is rotting every day and in a few k years will be oil. There is matter well on its way that is not yet oil but will be much sooner. So basicly it will never ALL be gone forever BUT we are already useing it much faster than it replenishes and demand is only riseing. So if we could get the internal combustion motors, or at LEAST all the land vehicles switched over to other energy then there would always be LOADS of oil left for the other things we use it for like lamp oil, vasoline, plastics, etc, etc, etc.
     
  12. Clyde

    Clyde Jet Set Tourer Administrator Founding Member

    If my cars could run on beer, I would be much happier because I could syphon directly from the tank if I got thirsty.
     
  13. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    Well with our current situation it is form a practical point of view finite. It's rate of renewal is much too slow. On top of that whatever dead matter before (forests etc) would have just layed there and evenlually (millions of years) turn to oil now are being used as a resource for something else.


    This is like having a big lake that we are drawing from to feed our cities but it is being replenished a few drops at a time. It will take millions upon millions of years to fill back up once empty. For intents and purposes it is finite and quite non-renewable.
     
  14. padkychas

    padkychas Monkey+++

    don't hold your breath, if they can't tax the fuel it will not hit the mainstream sales market.
    padkychas
     
  15. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    They can find a way to tax ANYTHING. They tax us for our own labor, what could they possibly NOT tax? They would simply make all roads toll roads and tax that way or have mandatory odometer checks and tax you by the mile. Not to mention they could just tax the water (more) or whatever other fuel. So I dont figure the taxes will be a real issue for it.
     
  16. Blackjack

    Blackjack Monkey+++


    You're forgetting that all new vehicles are already being produced with gps. They can track you and tax you by the mile (usage tax). One state (I think Kali), is already working on it.
     
  17. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++


    Two actually, kali and oregon. Not sure the progress of either though. It was being pushed through before because of increasing mpg of cars were decreasing gas tax revenue.
     
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