By Damien Reid

Compared to your average six-cylinder car, motorbikes use barely a fraction of the fuel and if you've ever seen someone fill up a scooter, you almost wonder why they bother as they practically run on loose change.

But apparently that's not good enough for Europe's second largest two-wheel manufacturer, Aprilia which has unveiled a prototype which runs on nothing but air and water thanks to the work of US technology development company, Manhattan Scientifics.

Shown at the recent International Paris Fair, the MOJITO FC scooter runs off a 3000 watt fuel cell powered by hydrogen which the makers claim covers 192 kilometres on a single fill and reaches a top speed of around 60 km/h.

By comparison with alternative fuelled cars, the MOJITO is the first non-petrol vehicle to match both the top speed and range of its conventional counterpart - meaning there is no sacrifice for the owner to not use petrol.

"This fuel cell powered scooter is a continuation of our efforts to introduce practical, alternative energy power for personal transportation," the CEO of Manhattan Scientifics, Mr Jack Harrod said.

Manhattan Scientifics believes this scooter will achieve a higher top speed and quicker acceleration than current vehicles with 50 and 80 cc internal combustion engines.

The whole installation weighs just under 6 kg including associated electronics, valves and fans while the actual hydrogen/air fuel cell weighs in at 4.3 kg and operates under ambient conditions without additional ancillary equipment such as pumps or special cooling.

Developed by Manhattan's German division, NovArs GmbH, the company believes the scooter could have a major impact on the World's greenhouse gas emissions given that the current population for motorised two-wheeled vehicles currently stands at 100 million while scooters account for 17 million.

Not surprisingly, the majority of these bikes are based in high population areas such as the crowded cities of Asia and contributes to high levels of air-born and noise pollution in these regions.

"Imagine riding the new MOJITO scooter in total silence for almost 200 kilometres on a single tank of inexpensive hydrogen," the CEO of NovArs, Mr Marvin Maslow said.

"We believe our technology sets the benchmark as the smallest size and lightest weight engine in the budding fuel cell industry. This means our patented engine has particular application with portables -- everything from laptop computers to power tools to bicycles, scooters, golf carts, wheelchairs and small boats," he said.

With the global use of scooters expanding and an estimated 10 million sold in China and three million sold in India alone during 2000, the company believes this diminutive form of transport could be the trailblazer for motor vehicles world wide in terms of reducing the world's dependence on fossil-based fuels.

"Industry experts believe it might be a decade before we see true mass production and mass purchased fuel cell cars on our roads. But this need not be true for other smaller forms of fuel-cell-driven personal transportation, which are expected to play a significant role in the near term for people moving," Mr Maslow said.

"This has particular significance today with our emphasis on lessening our dependence on imported oil. We are entering the hydrogen age," he said.