Is it true that there are cars that run on water? That is debatable. In 2006 there was an article in Mobile Magazine that stated that a prototype of a car that could run on water had been built. Supposedly this car drove for one hundred miles using only four ounces of water as its fuel.
There is such a thing as a water fuel cell. The water fuel cell is a device that is designed to break water down into its two components, oxygen and hydrogen. This is done using less energy than can be gotten from the subsequent combustion of the two individual elements. This makes the water fuel cell into what is known as a "perpetual motion machine." Its effectiveness has been ruled out by the first law of thermodynamics.
Some people get the use of water for power confused with steam engines or hydrogen cars. Water powers a steam engine by transmitting energy from a heat source to the turbine or pistons that actually do the work of running the engine. Hydrogen cars are similar to the idea behind the cars that run on water in that the two ideas use some of the same elements. Cars that run on water, though, are fundamentally different than hydrogen cars.
Cars that run on water would have to find a way to extract energy from water without using any energy in the process of doing so.
The best, and some say only, to make cars that run on water is to integrate water into the already existing fuel system. Scientists and mechanics are working on ways to use water to stretch the gas in your gas tank to new lengths. Ideally, the water will be able to stretch the gas tank and give cars mileage that rivals that of the already popular Hybrid cars. This process is still in the works, however, and there is not much information to be found.
There have been urban legends about cars that run on water practically since the invention of the automobile itself. Typically the story says that a rogue inventor invents an engine that runs purely on water but the idea is suppressed by either the major automakers or by Big Oil because those industries want to keep their profit margins safe. As of late, the people who are selling power sources that are fuelled by water have all turned out to be frauds. Their only aim was to take the money of investors suffering from extreme gullibility. This can be proven by doing a simple internet search. There are a ton of pages that all promise to teach you how to make your car run on water…if you send in the money for the materials and instructions on how to install them.
Cars that run on water are still, technically, hypothetical. There has not yet been a car created that truly uses only water as its source of fuel. The day might be coming though and it might be coming sooner than we think.
Cars That Run on Water Tip #1
No matter what anybody tells you, there is not yet a water powered car in production. That is an urban myth that reached its peak with Stanley Meyer who claimed that he drove one hundred miles using only four ounces of water (he was later convicted of fraud). The water powered engine hasn't even been invented yet. Scientists are still trying to figure out if it is even possible. |
Cars That Run on Water Tip #2
Many major car manufacturers are embracing the idea of the hydrogen car. BMW hopes to release a hydrogen car to the public by 2008 (or 2010 at the latest) and other manufacturers like Toyota are also making plans to release hydrogen car lines. Of course the debate over using hydrogen in cars is still raging and nothing has been settled yet. |
Cars That Run on Water Tip #3
While both a water based engine and a hydrogen engine will do wonders for fuel emissions and the environment, one of the major reasons people want them is to improve their fuel mileage. Of course, gas mileage can be improved right now. You can improve your gas mileage drastically just by driving sensibly and making sure your car is maintained properly. |
