A while back, we wrote about the air-powered car that has gained some credence because of the much-needed backing of the big group Tata of India, a conglomerate that also recently absorbed the Land Rover and Jaguar operations from a cash-strapped Ford Motor Company.
Now here comes another motive source that has been bruited about for some time: the water-powered car. However, the people behind this project claim that their car runs on more than just clean water. Supposedly, it can also run on salt water, soft drinks, alcohol, etc. Imagine this scene evolving in front of a bar or nightspot: A proud owner of a water-powered car goes in to partake of his favorite libations and then, feeling the call of nature, goes out to his car to empty himself of waste fluids directly into the gas tank. Ugh!
The company that developed the car, Genepax, is now the happy beneficiary of attention from prime car companies Honda and Toyota. If they are interested in this technology, this means that there is something to it after all.
Meanwhile, we recall a Filipino inventor named Daniel Dingel who also touted a water-powered car using roughly the same technical process as proposed for the Genepax car.
Whatever happened to inventor Dingel?
Well, it seems that time and his reticence has passed him by. I actually met the fellow and he made me go over his car, smell the exhaust (no fumes!) coming out of the rear pipe, and so forth. My friend and I, both retired bankers, encouraged Dingel to sign an agreement with one or two big car companies after protecting himself with the appropriate patents. It seems that the paranoid inventor feared having his invention stolen and the technology mined to his detriment. Well, as we said, the train passed by and no one will certainly talk to Dingel now that enough research and development work has gone into non-traditional means of automobile motivation.
Watch the following feed which shows both the Genepax car and an old Youtube video of the Dingel car.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Mr. Dingel’s claim was a hoax.
His explanation about the technology he used is impossible to believe. Breaking down Hydrogen and Oxygen [using the technology Mr. Dingel described] requires more energy than it can give off.
I wish I could meet that man so he can prove me wrong.
POSTSCRIPT
I used to work as a car mechanic in a repair shop in Davao. I also tried to invent alternative engines. I was however unsuccessful as I could not do it alone. I am currently a System/Software Engineer based in Japan.
July 15th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I believe the name of the Filipino inventor is (spelled) Daniel Dingle.
Yes it is sad that Mr. Dingle and the Filipino nation was not able to benefit from his invention.
If the inventor was concerned his invention would be stolen from him then i suppose it was all about money. Certainly there are other ways of motivating our Filipino inventors - like nationalism and the benefits to humanity and nature - other than just financial gain.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Dingle would have helped a lot if his invention was supported very well by the government. He has a golden heart, never selfish. The sad thing is, the invention has to go abroad and other country will benefit from it.
July 14th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Water powered car is crap. It defies the laws of thermodynamics.
July 13th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
[...] able to track down Daniel Dingel & his invention through Inquirer.net. This is the actual page: Revisiting the water-powered car where i was I able to find the [...]