"Water-powered" cars: How Dasani, Fiji and Evian will replace Exxon, BP and Shell

Japan has more up its kimono sleeves than crazy Tokyo fashion, insane game shows and futuristic wireless technology.

Japanese company Genepax recently unveiled its Water Energy System (WES) fuel cell prototype encased in a wee little car chassis (think smart fortwo). With a single liter of water, the company reports the car to run for an hour at 80kmph. The WES, which costs a cool $18,500 to build, can run on fresh or salt water, rain or even tea. (Earl Grey gone cold? Fill 'er up!) If Genepax can get support for mass production (likely many years from now), the system could cost as little as $5,000.

Of course there are skeptics, opponents (rhymes with boil gompanies), and fear-induced rockheads. (Search the blogs.)

In more local news, if you can't wait for your water wheels, you can follow the suit of this guy and convert your vehicle into an oil-consumption machine. Frying oil that is. Chris Voyvodic of Steamboat Springs modified his diesel pick up truck, using a kit from greasecar.com, to run on vegetable oil. The oil is free, recycled from the fryers at a local restaurant.

Eco-friendly fuel options are on the horizon! Water, vegetable oil, what's next? If the sky were the limit, what would YOUR car run on?

Topics: Alternative fuels