WATER POWERED MOBILE CHARGER

PowerTrekk A fuel-cell charger that converts water into enough electricity to power a phone the bright green Powertrekk looks like an environmentalist’s renewable energy dream.

The mobile charger is Developed by Swedish fuel cell company myFC, the Rs. 15,000 PowerTrekk has a fuel cell battery lid that pops open to reveal a dual chamber interior. On the right side of the charger there is a hatch you open and pour a small amount of water into. The other chamber contains a space for a round chemical cartridge filled with sodium silicate that is called a PowerTrek Pukk. To generate power you must add water and insert a brand new PowerTrek Pukk, then seal up the device and wait while the cartridge combines its chemicals with the water to release a vapor which then flows into the fuel cell battery, giving it enough juice for one smartphone charge.

You can also attach your phone to the USB port while the 2 hour reaction is going and wait as it charges or let the battery hold onto the charge for later use.

As we know water is available free of cost, the real catch is that you need a new PowerTrek Pukk for each charge and each of these Pukks costs Rs. 200. myFC CEO Bjorn Westerholm told us that the Rs.15,000 device will not even come with a sample Pukk. you will need to buy a 3-pack for Rs. 600 before you even use the PowerTrekk one time! When you are done with the charging process, you will also be left with a used Pukk that there will hopefully be a recycling program for. However, if that program isn’t convenient or people don’t use it, they’ll be disposing of a metal container that’s the size of a can of tuna fish and contains toxic chemicals.

myFC envisions the PowerTrekk as a solution for people who spend several days outdoors, without access to AC power.

we have to wonder whether those people would be better off carrying a couple of spare rechargeable batteries into the woods than a box of Rs.200 disposable Pukks.