Fuel cells coming to more toys

Its "H-racer" toy has been such a smash hit that Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies is now planning larger inroads in the world of toys as a strategic market for its fuel cells.

Today, the Shanghai-based company announced an agreement with one of the world's largest toy manufacturers to pioneer the design and mass-production of fuel cells specifically designed for toys.

Under the agreement, Wah Shing Toys of Hong Kong is to scale up manufacturing of Horizon's existing line of tech toy products, with a view to developing new fuel cell-powered products for major name-brand international toy companies and their products.

Wah Shing is a contract manufacturer, producing more than 60 million "soft, electronic and mechanical" toys per year for 6 of the top 10 largest toy companies on the planet, according to Michael Merwin, a spokesman for the two companies.

Wah Shing was reluctant to identify its customers by name.

Horizon's celebrated H-racer is a toy "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 water, with no combustion and no disposal.

Horizon also recently introduced a fuel cell power pack for radio controlled cars (see Fuel cell car toys get massive ride pimping) and was a partner in the first radio controlled experimental jet to use fuel cell technology (see Experimental jet drone powered by Horizon fuel cells) [ed.: which the overgrown kids at the Cleantech Group think would make an excellent toy, indeed. Check out the video.]

Today's popular toys can use in excess of 500 million disposable alkaline batteries per year, according to Wah Shing. The company says it wants to spearhead the promotion of Horizon's more environmentally responsible alternative to disposable batteries.

"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," said Richard Ellert, Managing Director of Wah Shing.

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 in next-generation toys that could be re-used hundreds of times.

Expect to see the new devices appear in radio controlled scale model concept vehicles built by Wah Shing, according to spokesperson Merwin, who could not share more specific information.

While Horizon also continues to develop industrial-size fuel cell power products, Merwin said the company's side trip into toys proved to be beneficial.

"Toys were a realistic starting place. One of the things they've done and found a lot of success with was the H-Racer. They have big ambitions for the technology, but getting it into consumers hands via toys is a great way to start generating revenue. It's been a great strategy," he said.

Wah Shing Toys was established in 1976. Headquartered in Hong Kong and employing 19,000 people, it is a member of South China Industries Limited (HKG: 413), a publicly traded company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Richard Ellert, Managing Director of Wah Shing, is the chairman of the Asia Technical Advisory Board of the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI) and a member of the Toy Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong.

Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies was formed in Singapore in 2003, and is now led by an international team based in Shanghai.

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