Genepax Fuel Cell Electric car

There has a number of attempts on water-powered cars, but it looks like Japan’s Genepax has now made some real progress on that front, with it recently taking the wraps off its Water Energy System fuel cell prototype.

The key to that system, it seems, is its membrane electrode assembly (or MEA), which contains a material that’s capable of breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen through a chemical reaction. Not surprisingly, the company isn’t getting much more specific than that, with it only saying that it’s adopted a “well-known process to produce hydrogen from water to the MEA.”

Currently, that system costs on the order of ¥2,000,000 (or about $18,700 — not including the car), but company says that if it can get it into mass production that could be cut to ¥500,000 or less (or just under $5,000).

A video of car in action courtesy of Reuters. Genepax system developer said, as long as you fill it up with water even rain water the car can produce electricity for the engine.

The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car’s tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it.