Hydrogen-based technology claimed to boost power and reduce emissions

A company based in California is claiming to have developed an emissions-reducing product for conventional motor vehicles that it boasts could help the auto industry meet upcoming emissions regulations. The company is HydroLectricPower and the technology will be on show at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show.

HydroLectricPower’s new HH2 Water Fuel Cell system is designed as an attachment for regular petrol or diesel vehicles and relies on energy drawn from the car’s internal combustion engine to separate hydrogen and oxygen from water. The device, which is roughly the size of a book, then combines the extracted hydrogen with the vehicle’s existing fuel source, be it petrol, diesel, or even E85 ethanol blended fuel. Combining the hydrogen enhances the combustion of the fuel, completely incinerating fuel toxins and particulates due to the high 3,000 degree burn temperature of the hydrogen catalyst. The end result is a clean air exhaust discharge.

The HH2 Water Fuel Cell system sounds eerily similar to another hydrogen-based system found in the Ronn Motor Company Scorpion sports car, but differentiates itself in that the company is selling the product as a standalone unit to be attached to just about any vehicle. Pricing for the system is $899 for four-cylinder engines, while a V8 unit will set you back around $1,299.