Genepax

The Japanese company Genepax has unveiled a prototype of a car that it claims runs on water and air. The car is powered by Genepax's Water Energy System (WES). The company says the system uses a "membrane electrode assembly" (MEA) to split water into its components, hydrogen and oxygen, through a chemical reaction.¹

Fast Facts

1. Company name: Genepax Co., Ltd.
2. Headquarters: Osaka, Japan
3. President: Kiyoshi Hirasawa
4. Company founded on October 10, 2006²
5. Research first began on the Water Energy System (WES) in 1980³
6. Genepax claims the WES can generate both heat and electricity from water⁴
7. Company also says WES does not emit carbon dioxide⁴
8. Genepax unveiled its water powered car in June 2008
9. Company claims the car can run for about one hour on one liter of water⁵
10. Genepax has faced criticism for not revealing specifics of the technology^{6 7}
11. Genepax spokesperson Jun Onishi says the company "cannot [reveal] the core part of this invention"⁶

Technology Not New?

Ohio inventor Stan Meyer claimed to have invented a water fuel cell that split water into hydrogen and oxygen for use in automotive engines. Meyer claimed to have successfully tested the device on his dune buggy. In 1996, Meyer was convicted of "gross and egregious fraud" against his investors.⁸

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