As the fuel prices go up the need to find effective alternative sources of power is getting has become imperative. Since the invention of automobiles, petrol and diesel were the primary fossil fuels that have quenched the human thirst for speed and comfort while traveling. Water as a possible fuel for running cars has gained major popularity due to its abundance in nature and clean emission.

There have been reports and speculations in the media linking the water cars to possible conspiracies by rich fuel companies. A common notion is that the oil complies do not want the water car to be developed because it would drastically reduce their business and would take them to a non acceptable situation. The ‘hybrid car conspiracy' is stated as a major supporter to this theory. According to conspiracy enthusiasts Stanley Meyer, who had accomplished major pioneering feat in the field of water fuel cell technology, was found dead under mysterious circumstances after eating in a restaurant. Many believe there was a hand of oil companies in this.

In reality, according to the basic laws of physics, the first law of thermodynamics, it is not at all possible to make a car that is running with water as a fuel. In a ‘water car' the metal hydrides react with water to produce hydrogen which can then in turn be used to propel a car. With time hydrides get exhausted and need to be replenished or replaced. So that makes hydrides as the fuel and not the water! The usual process of making metal hydrides takes in more energy then it produces, thus hydrides act as an energy repository and feel a lot like a battery, which should be replaced from time to time.

The Water in the water fueled cars acts just as a helper in the energy creation process and not as a fuel. Water is used as an input in these cars but, as already stated, it is quiet impossible to run a car entirely on water. Water, being very stable compound is essentially non reactive to other compounds and it is because of this property it is considered a base and a universal solvent. Water would not produce energy by normal physical or chemical methods. The energy used to propel a ‘water fueled' car comes from a chemical reaction which is the resultant of high energy compounds induced with water in the reaction.

Though there are many claimed prototypes and commercially available versions of water fueled cars are available. Many of such cars are pushed by the media and the environmentalist groups as the safer, nature friendly way to travel. Regardless of what environmentalists or the media reports, the term ‘water cars' should not be given to such cars.

Saying that the concept and the thought of cars propelled by water is a hoax would not be entirely wrong. Water fueled cars create an entirely wrong picture of themselves and should be cynically viewed. These cars make people believe that there is hope and the solution to the shortage of fossil fuels is here, this makes them not care for the depleting current reserves of fossil fuels. The truth is far away from this.