Iranian Engineer Claims to Develop Water-Powered Car; Experts Call It Scientifically Impossible

Viral video resurfaces showing a car allegedly running 900 km on 60 litres of water, but physicists warn it defies basic laws of energy.

An Iranian engineer named Alaeddin (Alauddin) Qassemi has once again gone viral on social media after claiming to have developed a car that runs entirely on water instead of petrol or diesel. In a video filmed in Karaj, Iran, Qassemi demonstrates a modified Peugeot 405 that, according to him, can travel 900 kilometres in 10 hours using just 60 litres of water.

He claims the vehicle uses electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, after which hydrogen is burned to power the engine. The only emission, he says, is water vapour, making the vehicle completely pollution-free. As fuel prices rise globally, the video has sparked both excitement and disbelief online. A recent post on X (formerly Twitter) sharing this video has received over 62,000 likes and 13,000 reposts.

Why Scientists Disagree

Experts, however, strongly refute the claim.

According to the second law of thermodynamics, the energy required to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen is greater than the energy gained by burning that hydrogen. In simple terms, a car cannot run on water alone without an external energy source.

Physicists and energy researchers say:

• Hydrogen-powered cars do exist,
• But hydrogen must be produced using electricity or natural gas beforehand—not created inside the car using water.
• Therefore, a “car running only on water” is not scientifically possible with current technology.

Viral Claim Not New

A reverse image search shows this same video first appeared in 2016, and went viral again in 2018, 2023, 2024 and now 2025. Media outlets like Tehran Times and Press TV covered it earlier, but no patents, scientific studies, or government approvals have followed.

Platforms like TechStory and independent fact-checkers have previously labelled the claim as false or misleading.

Conspiracies and Reactions

Online reactions are divided:

• Some users wrote, “God save him,” calling it a breakthrough.
• Others called it a “future revolution” or a hoax.
• Conspiracy theories suggest oil companies may silence such scientists—claims that have no confirmed evidence.

Reality: Hydrogen Technology Is Real, But Water-Powered Cars Are Not

The viral video has renewed public interest in hydrogen as a clean fuel. Engineers worldwide are working on hydrogen fuel cells and eco-friendly energy systems. But experts caution that:

• There is no proof that this car runs only on water,
• Such claims may mislead people and could even be used in fraud,
• Real innovation must be backed by evidence, patents and peer-reviewed research.

A car can run on hydrogen, but not directly on water. Until proven by scientific data and independent testing, Alaeddin Qassemi’s invention remains an unverified claim—not a breakthrough.