Stan Meyer

Stan Meyer was an inventor who reportedly developed a water fuel cell to power a car.

According to its patent, Stan Meyer's water fuel cell electrolyzed water down to hydrogen and oxygen molecules, producing a "fuel gas mixture."European Patent Office: Patent US4936961 Meyer claimed the cell made it possible to power an automotive engine on just water and a car battery.

To prove his claim, Meyer tested his invention on a dune buggy, which he reportedly drove using the water fuel cell. Meyer attracted numerous investors, but was convicted of "gross and egregious fraud" in 1996. An Ohio court found "nothing revolutionary" about the cell since it used "conventional electrolysis."BrainStuff: Ode to Stanley Meyer (December 7, 2007)

Meyer died in March 1998 of a brain aneurysm. Since his death, Japanese company Genepax developed an electric car that also runs on water.Reuters: Water-fuel car unveiled in Japan

• YouTube Video: Stan Meyer: Zero-Point Energy (Time: 9:53)