Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

Luke first wrote about the H2GO hydrogen fuel cell car at the beginning of the year, but at that time there was no information on pricing or availability. Well here we are almost 9 months later and it looks like Hammacher Schlemmer now has the H2GO available, just in time for the gift-giving season. Besides the futuristic design, what sets the H2GO apart from other RC cars on the market is that it uses a bona-fide hydrogen fuel cell instead of AAs or other types of built-in rechargeable batteries. So instead of having to remember to buy batteries for Christmas morning, you just need to make sure you have plenty of tap water available.

The hydrogen used by the fuel cell is generated by the included fueling station which uses electrolysis to turn water into hydrogen and oxygen, and it itself is solar powered. The car is controlled by the Wiimote Nunchuck looking remote (which is probably the one component of the kit that does require a battery) and has a top speed of about 6MPH. You’ll get about 6 minutes of driving time after each 3 1/2 minute refueling, and the hydrogen fuel station will operate for about an hour after a 4-minute charge from its solar panel. At $149.95 it’s probably not the cheapest or even the most exciting remote control toy car on the market, but it will teach your kids about the exciting world of alternative fuels!

[ Hammacher - The First Remote Controlled Hydrogen Powered Car ]