The water-powered car is here!

I read this article on Yahoo! France, and sadly for most of you, it is only available in French...

I have made a translation of it:
"The French-Swiss water-powered car runs

GIVISIEZ/VILLIGEN (AP) - From 0 to 100km/h in 12 seconds. Fuel:
water H2O. Frebch-Swiss prototype. The Paul-Scherrer Institute (PSI) of Villigen (canton Argovie canton) in Switzerland and the Swiss research Center of Michelin, at Givisez (canton of Freiburg) presented Tuesday in China a prototype of a private car with revolutionary characteristics. This four seats vehicle weighing only 850kg indeed is equipped with a high-output, entirely electric motorization, which fuel is hydrogen and oxygen obtained from water.

This motorization is in the form of a fuel cell oxygen-hydrogen, on on hand, and, on the other hand, of compact electric motors in each front wheel. Thanks to a system of recovery, the kinetic energy when braking is transformed in electrical current, current which is stored in super-condensers. The latter can release their load very quickly and make the engine output of 30kW to close to 75kW or the speed of zero to 100km/h in a dozen seconds. The prototype has been presented on Sunday at the "Bibendum Challenge", organized in China and which features, for a competition, resolutely not-conventional motor vehicles.

The prototype vehicle of the PSI and Michelin, named "Hy-Light", produces on only water vapor. A fully charged cell, with an efficiency of almost 60%, makes it possible to cover 400km approximately - what would be equivalent to approximately two liters of gasoline for 100km with a traditional engine. The vehicle should be presented in Switzerland before the end of the year, according to Daniel Laurent, director of the sector "Conception and developpement" at Michelin, in Givisiez. In whole or part, the prototype presented these days could have industrial repercussions within five to ten years, according to Daniel Laurent.

The PSI was in charge of the development of the fuel cell, bringing its knowledge and its long experience in electrochemistry. It also improved the condensers with strong capacity. Michelin, for its part, developed the electric drive, the engines and the frame with active electric suspension. The stability of the vehicle in the curves and during braking is assured electronically.

Using techniques and materials borrowed from aeronautics, Michelin built a particularly light vehicle since it weighs only 850 kilos. Hydrogen and oxygen are stored in special tanks integrated into the structure of the vehicle and well protected well from shocks. The oxygene and hydrogen production are done by water electrolysis.

The competition, organized in Shanghai, is the most important in the world for nonpolluting vehicles. AP"

Please excuse any translation mistake.

[Edit]
Some typos.

[edit on 13-10-2004 by SpookyVince]

Err... It's not water powered.
But anyway, it would be nice to see these kind of cars on the streets, the thing that worries me is the hydrogen tank. You don't really wanna crash that car.. (I know, I know.. gasoline isn't the safest thing either)

Hmmm.. the only thing that it generates is water... imagine a street with big traffic on it, in winter. A sheet of ice could form on the surface, unless the water is stored or something.

The other problem is, that this only shifts the pollution from the streets to the plants which would make the fuel, if the energy, that separates H20 into its elements, is created by the use of fossil fuel. Although emission can be reduced more easily there.
But of course, you can use alternative energy sources to "make" hydrogen..

It's also far from being the "first" hydrogen powered prototype. Like, by decades.

The issue with water powered cars is that they work better in warmer climates. In areas where it freezes, the exhaust (water vapor) condenses, freezes and blocks up. It will be a few years before it actually happens.

I agree that it's not the forst one at all, and also that there are problems with it.

One thing though: the fact that the exhaust is composed of water (thus the problem of freezing...) can lead to its re-use... If that vapor is kept within the car (in a special tank, i.e.), then condensed, it becomes possible (because the engine is producing electricity) to use it again as fuel... Liquid water only needs a small current to divide into hydrogen and oxygen, and then it can be used as fuel again... Obviously, it is not 100% efficient, and you still need to use "external" fuel in combination to this "internal", recycled, fuel, but this also limits the emissions... A few ideas I like very much anyway...

23/09/04
Please use your search finger

www.abovetopsecret.com...
I did it already and it is in English








[edit on 14/10/2004 by Sauron]

Originally posted by Sauron
23/09/04
Please use your search finger

www.abovetopsecret.com...
I did it already and it is in English
(...)

Sauron, if you had actually read my post, you would have noticed that it is NOT the same car... The one I talk about is the one presented by PSI and Michelin in Shanghai, at the Bibendum Challenge. It has nothing to do with BMW...

I had read before about that BMW prototype.

Originally posted by SpookyVince

Originally posted by Sauron
23/09/04
Please use your search finger

www.abovetopsecret.com...
I did it already and it is in English
(...)

Sauron, if you had actually read my post, you would have noticed that it is NOT the same car... The one I talk about is the one presented by PSI and Michelin in Shanghai, at the Bibendum Challenge. It has nothing to do with BMW...

I had read before about that BMW prototype.

Sorry Spooky

If you guys want to see a solution for the water vapor on winter days, and the blockage exaust thing, read the topic "The Ultimate Power Source" It has some good info on a car that won't have blockage or create sheets of ice on the roads.

[edit on 10/19/04 by diehard_democrat]

It would be better if it wa a boat, that way through desalinization and electrolisis, it would be able to have an endless fuel supply.

Originally posted by Sauron
(...)
Sorry Spooky

No problem

about the boat....

It wouldn't work, because the power needed for electrolysis would have to come from somewhere, like a solar panal, or a battery.

[edit on 17-10-2004 by diehard_democrat]