An RC Car That Runs On Water Is A Positively Charged Step

People have been talking about running cars on water for years, but it's a slow march from science fiction to reality. Even on a small scale, development is difficult. But the i-H2GO is the second revision of an all-water remote controlled car that seems to actually work.

In 2008 Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies and Corgi International released the H2GO. And now they're updating it. As with the previous model, you pour water into the refueling station and it is electrolyzed (split into hydrogen and oxygen) by power from a solar panel. The high energy hydrogen is directed into the car and converted to electricity to run it. On a cloudy day you can also use a USB charging cable to electrolyze the water.

The i-H2GO is controlled by an iOS app (Android is apparently on its way) instead of the radio-controller that came with the last model. There are on-screen controls in the app or a ""Gyro Mode"" that turns the whole phone into the steering wheel. The car, refueling station and charging panel come together for $180, $75 cheaper than the last model, and are scheduled to ship on August 15. 

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CO2ube filters out carbon dioxide from your tailpipe

Carbon dioxide emissions have been linked to all sorts of environmental ills. Improvements in car design are helping the issue, but the CO2ube Kickstarter project wants to take carbon dioxide filtration to any car on the road.

The CO2ube attaches onto the end of your tailpipe using hose clamps. A combination of algae and sodium hydroxide filters out the carbon dioxide as it exits from car.

A single CO2ube is going for a pledge price of $45. The company behind the product, Ecoviate, has created working prototypes and is looking to produce the device in quantity. A smartphone app is also intended to accompany the CO2ube. The app would let you track your emissions over time.

The CO2ube could end up being a good start in democratizing carbon dioxide filtration systems. The creators hope to qualify the device for a tax credit and gain approval for CO2ube-equipped cars to ride in HOV lanes without meeting the minimum occupant requirement. If these bonuses go through, it could help improve the attractiveness of the product for commuters.The CO2ube will definitely make you think more about what's coming out of your tailpipe, but there are some drawbacks to the system. The filter lasts eight to 10 weeks, so you would have to change it out every couple of months. There is a year's-supply pledge level on Kickstarter, coming in at $500. It could be a hard sell, however, to convince the masses to attach a fresh device to their tailpipes at least five times every year.

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