Customer Reviews

Thames & Kosmos Fuel Cell Car and Experiment Kit

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This kit teaches about solar energy, photo-voltaic electrolysis and fuel cells. A 100-page manual explains electrical concepts, shows how to use a digital multimeter to measure voltage and current, and guides through 30 experiments from simple measurements to pretty involved computations. I bought the kit for my 12-year-old son. I read the manual in advance and then guided him through it all. We then used the kit as the basis for a science project. The kit includes a solar cell to either produce electricity or break down water into oxygen and hydrogen to drive the fuel cell. It includes a car, cables, multimeter, fuel tanks, safety goggles, etc. Everything is high quality except for the cars wheels which are very flimsy. The manual is very good but the translation from German is choppy at times and flip-flops between metric and imperial units. Overall, excellent.

Very high quality components, I have used mine as a demonstration system extensively with no issues. PV cell operates in cloudy/lower light conditions much better than others I have used.

Strongly recommend!!!

I bought this for my 15-year-old son who is very interested in alternative fuels and transportation, and it's incredible. My son played with it for about 8 hours straight and still does every chance he gets. The car teaches you about how a fuel cell works, and you get to see with your own eyes how simple the technology actually is. While I don't necessarily believe hydrogen fuel cells are the answer on their own, they will likely be part of the solution to our decreasing oil supply. The only negative thing I have to say about this item is that the rubber wheels tend to come off easily, so we've ended up running it without them.

The product we bought, "fuel cell, car and experiment kit" is a great educational product.

It is not only a toy, it is an educational product that deals with shaping up a youngster's future maybe.
For the learning it provides, it is not expensive. Amazon.com is a great site with great service.

We think this "toy" should be in every parent's shopping bag!
(we work for a university and will use this "toy" for demonstrations to middle and high school students). It is the future of our students we are concerned about!

I had an earlier version of this kit; the new car is improved. There is a good manual as well.
One question I had was "what is in this outside the fuel cell car"? They put in a multimeter (ammeter + voltmeter) -- a slightly nicer one runs about $20 at Radio Shack if you're curious. There is also the solar panel that they hype.
The manual then does a nice job of using the multimeter to conduct more experiments, like how the intensity of the sun varies over the day. A couple of their experiments have nothing to do with the car (components in series versus parallel) but the vast majority do. There is a mix of experiments about the fuel cell and the photovoltaic cell.

I enjoyed it. Fun factor is in the learning part. Its meant for kids but I liked it.

The kit was easy enough for a child (great) and left out all the cartoons so I didn't feel embarrassed playing with it.

I looked at several kits and picked this one. happy i did

Wheels are very fragile and wobbly. System itself is good with nice ideas for activities. Could use overall schematic for electricity flow for electrolysis circuit vs. H+ run electrical circuit for educational purposes. Small plastic parts such as hose connectors that can get lost should be in sturdier bag separate from bag with pointy bag-busting bits like wires on capacitors. The guide to multimeter use is well done.

This is a good tool for a young child (9th grade or less?) to learn about DC Current, solar cells, fuel cells and how to build small circuits. It contains information on several of the laws of electrical current, how to measure efficiency and build characteristic curves for the different parts.

The solar cell only takes minutes to fill the car with Hydrogen and Oxygen. Once full, the car runs for a surprisingly long period (10 minutes?). This kit is impressive in it's simplicity and highly recommended for a learning tool. It is a little flimsy so would probably not last long as a toy.

We have loved this toy / science project so far. One word of caution. When you put the wheels on to the axel with the motor, it is very easy to break the axel away from the gear box. Place the wheel on flat solid surface (like a table) and then tap the axel in with a small hammer tapping only on the other end of the axel. Put no pressure on the gear box at all. I broke the axel free from the gear box with very little force and it can't be fixed. Despite that issue, this is a great science project. You can talk about gases, matter, volume, comparisons of different volumes, basic electricity, and a host of other science. The book covers a lot of areas fairly in depth, so even if they are new topics for you, the information is there to get you started on a journey of discovery together. Absolutely one of my favorite science projects.

Pros: Experiments manual. Charged quickly.
Cons: Broken after being used half a dozen times. Rubber wheels come off the car too easily.

This item is not for class/school use. The wiring to the motor is too close, rigid, and flimsy (particularly the contacts directly attaching the wiring to the motor). The wire that attaches to the motor was broken-off after less than a half dozen uses. It is irreparable/useless now.