A remote-control car produced by the toymaker Corgi is the first household item to be powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology.

The car, called H2GO, uses hydrogen derived from tap water as its fuel and was developed by the Leicester-based company in partnership with Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, an international firm based in Shanghai that hopes to extend the technology to home appliances.

The hydrogen is separated from oxygen in the tap water via a miniaturised unit powered by a rechargeable battery. A tiny solar panel to charge the battery is an optional extra. The H2GO, which is billed as the first “zero emissions” remote-control toy, went on show at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair. It is expected to sell for £130 from September.