Water-fuelled cars and tomorrow’s energy!

Last week, DrillBytes discussed the innovation of the electric cars and its demands on electricity, mostly generated from coal and this week, yet another revolution set to hit the roads is presently being put together! What is common between both innovations is the zero dependence on gasoline! Therefore, this, most certainly, is not interesting times for countries solely dependent on oil due to the price crash of crude oil and now, innovations that will further make crude oil less attractive to mankind but what better way to receive the news than to start preparing in such a manner that when it eventually becomes a reality, such countries will not be too badly affected economically.

It is with this mindset that DrillBytes brings to the fore yet another breakthrough by leading scientists in Israel in making the world safer for its inhabitants through the ground-breaking and earth-shaking development of a car that runs on water! Considering the fact that water is available everywhere, but clean water or perhaps, the kind of water this vehicle will need to power it is another matter entirely but certainly a welcome replacement for fossil fuel powered cars. The company’s name is PHinEnergy Limited and they are basically into Power and Energy Sector, Project and Business Development, Advisory, Consultancy and Management Support. Phinenergy is a leading developer of breakthrough, absolutely zero emission, high energy density systems based on metal air energy technologies, mainly Aluminium-Air and Zinc-Air. Unlike conventional batteries that carry oxygen, these batteries freely breathe oxygen from the ambient air to release the energy contained in metals.

The Israeli company, Phinenergy has created a technology that uses metal, air and water to power a vehicle. This metal-air technology has been at the forefront of research for years because of its enormous potential for reducing the world’s use of energy. Since 2008, Phinenergy, benefitting from more than a decade of academic research at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv, has been successfully developing this technology by utilizing the energy stored in metal.

Phinenergy’s battery creates energy by combining aluminium and ambient air with water. The difference between this process and other electric-powered vehicles is comparable between a scuba diver who must carry his oxygen in a balloon on his back, and a fish, which simply utilizes the oxygen contained in water by breathing through its gills. Because of the unique technology, the battery is immune to CO2-related problems, which, according to the company, has been the leading cause of metal –air-battery failure in the past.

While for the everyday consumer, transportation may be the most compelling aspect of this technology, there are many other relevant applications in the areas of energy storage, defense and consumer electronics. For the vehicle consumer, one of the most attractive aspects of this technology is that instead of having to refuel with gasoline every several hundred miles or having to recharge or exchange a battery, the only necessary ingredient for refueling is water; a resource that is widely available, giving these cars a range that is almost unlimited and making them cost-efficient.

The car, according to the developers, can drive over 300km in one drive and by refilling the water, the car is good to go for another few hundred kilometers. Who wouldn’t love to drive such a car? It’s safer, cheaper and saves on the price of gas, they assured. Phinenergy is optimistic the car will be in high demand when it hits the marketplace. Regarding the launch date and price, mum is the word but mankind eagerly awaits the arrival of this wonder machine on its roads.

Back home in Nigeria and with the price calisthenics of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, the marketing gymnastics of the fuel importers, the acrobatic display of the fuel currency, the strikers in the organized labour, the wingers in the disorganized labour and the deregulated life of Nigerians, it is certain the years ahead, as it relates to energy consumption promises to be interesting! After the water powered car will probably come a water powered generator all of which will drastically reduce Nigerians dependence on premium motor spirit, PMS otherwise referred to as petrol and automotive gasoline oil, AGO popularly known as diesel. Driving at a speed of N145 per litre or more as the indices are currently spinning will finally be a thing of the past.

“Behold, we are making a new thing”, so says the team of experts currently putting this innovation together for the benefit of mankind, Nigerians inclusive. All of these will probably manifest in Nigeria and with a good turnover too, in about ten years from the launch date of the water powered car.

This implies that the PPPRA and the fuel marketers had better start bracing up for the reality of going into redundancy! It is the belief of DrillBytes that Nigerians will welcome this development with high voltage prayers and the little savings they can muster! The energy for tomorrow is slowly but steadily creeping its way into our consciousness and as the world drags us with it albeit reluctantly, the logical route for us to take is to move with the times in preparing for tomorrows energy today!