Wah Shing Toys and Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies will design and mass-produce eco friendly, fuel cell-powered toys and reusable energy storage devices.
Under the new manufacturing agreement between the two, Wah Shing will scale up manufacturing of Horizon's existing line of tech-toy products, with the aim of developing new fuel cell-powered products for major international toy companies. The agreement will leverage Wah Shing's global operations and track record of industry leadership and innovation to bring fuel cell-powered consumer products to millions of individuals around the world.
This new initiative follows the launch of Horizon's "H-racer" fuel cell-powered toy car, a Time Magazine "Best Invention" in 2006, and one of the "coolest new products on the planet" according to a recent issue of Business 2.0 magazine. The H-Racer is an innovative toy-scale "zero emission vehicle" that uses a fuel cell to combine hydrogen with oxygen from water to generate a DC current that powers the car's electric motor. The only by-products of the fuel cell are electricity, and pure water -- with no combustion and no disposal.
Richard Ellert, managing director of Wah Shing, comments, "As a leading toy manufacturer, Wah Shing is very excited to be at the forefront of "green toy" technology. The H-racer not only educates children and adults about alternative energy, it is also an important 'proof of concept' for demonstrating the practical application of this visionary technology. It's now time to take this concept to the next level. Building on our complementary expertise, this partnership will increase the performance of small fuel cell-powered consumer items and deliver them at a highly competitive cost, taking fuel cells out of the laboratory and bringing them into the home."
As part of this effort, Wah Shing is spearheading the promotion of Horizon's more environmentally responsible alternative to disposable batteries. Today's more popular toys can use in excess of 500 million disposable alkaline batteries per year. Horizon is looking to introduce a new generation of re-usable energy storage devices for use in toys and other consumer products.
Building on its fuel cell technology, Horizon is developing a new generation of non-toxic energy storage devices that would feed small fuel cell power systems designed into next-generation toys and that could be re-used hundreds of times. Horizon has already introduced a hydrogen fuel cell conversion kit concept for radio control car hobbyists. Instead of using a 7.2V Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) battery, the kit uses three re-useable hydride storage prototypes that feed a 7.2V fuel cell which is able to run the car four to five times longer than a NiCad battery.
Taras Wankewycz, vice president of Horizon, adds, "How better to promote a future based on clean, efficient energy solutions than by reaching out to the young generation today. Even as Horizon also develops industrial-size power products, the toys and hobby-products we are developing with Wah Shing are a starting point for mainstream commercial introduction of numerous fuel cell powered applications."