Fuel cells have been seen as the future of power because they can produce electricity through a chemical reaction that creates no pollution, just heat and water. Until now they’ve generally only been available to commercial organisations – but today Toshiba has announced a methanol-powered fuel cell that’s going on sale to the general public in Japan.
It’s called Dynario and will be produced in a limited edition of 3,000 units that’ll be sold online. A methanol cartridge provides refuelling within 20 seconds, while a USB connector means it can be used with multiple devices. A single refill of methanol can generate enough power to charge two mobile phones.