It was back in 2006 that we first heard about Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies’ H-Racer fuel cell-powered toy car. Two years later, Corgi International teamed up with the company to create a remote-control offering, called the H2GO. Today, Horizon announced the latest model in that line-up, the i-H2GO.

Like the H2GO, the new car comes with a photovoltaic panel and a refueling station. Ordinary water is poured into the station, and the panel provides power to electrolyze that water, splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then pumped into the car, which converts it into electricity. If the Sun isn’t shining, the refueling station can be powered via a plain old USB cable ... although that kind of takes away from the whole “renewable energy” aspect of the product.

The main thing that’s new about the i-H2GO is the fact that it’s now controlled by Wi-Fi using an app on the user’s iOS or (soon) Android mobile device – by contrast, the H2GO utilized a dedicated radio-control unit. Users steer and accelerate using on-screen controls, or they can opt for Gyro mode. In that setting, they just hold their phone up and turn it like a steering wheel, with the device’s gyroscope detecting the movements and transmitting them to the car as steering commands.

The complete i-H2GO kit is now available for pre-order at a price of US$180, with shipping scheduled to begin on August 15th. The car can be seen in action in the video below.

Source: Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies