Daniel Dingel (1928–2010) was a Filipino engineer who claimed to have invented a "hydrogen reactor" that could power a water-fuelled car.

Hydrogen reactor car

Dingel said he began working on his hydrogen reactor in 1969, and claimed to have used the device to power his 1996 Toyota Corolla. Dingle claimed that his invention splits hydrogen from water in an onboard water tank, and does not produce any carbon emissions. However, he never revealed the secret to his invention. In an interview with the ''

Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded broad ...

'', Dingel said that he would be willing to reveal the secret of his invention if the buyer would hire 200 Filipinos and their families. Dingel was known as a vocal critic of Filipino government officials and scientists who refused to support his invention. The Philippines Department of Science and Technology, in turn, has declared his invention a

hoax A hoax (plural: hoaxes) is a widely publicised falsehood created to deceive its audience with false and often astonishing information, with the either malicious or humorous intent of causing shock and interest in as many people as possible. S ...

Investment by Formosa Plastics Group and estafa case

In November 2000, John Ding Young of

Formosa Plastics Group Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, ) is a titular Taiwanese conglomerate of diverse interests, including biotechnology, petrochemical processing and production of electronics components. The group was founded by Wang Yung-ching and his brother Wang ...

(FPG) sought Dingel out and, convinced that the invention was genuine, signed a "preliminary understanding" with him for several projects. He aimed to have business partners, get an international patent, and commercialize his technology. In December 2008, Dingel became even more controversial when he was found guilty and sentenced to a maximum of 20 years imprisonment in an estafa (swindling) case filed against him by Young and FPG. In a decision dated December 9, 2008, Judge Rolando How of the

Parañaque Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...

Regional Trial Court's Branch 257 found him guilty of taking $410,000 from FPG, saying that Dingel "defrauded Young when the inventor failed to fulfill his obligation of developing his 'hydrogen reactor' and creating experimental cars in 2000." Young claimed that Dingel signed a joint venture agreement with FPG, and initially received $30,000 in goodwill money and $20,000 for research and development. Young said that Dingel then visited the FPG headquarters in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

and asked for $300,000 so he could purchase three cars which he would use as prototypes when he returned to the Philippines. Young added that in September 2001 he sent another $60,000 in additional funds, as agreed upon in the joint venture agreement. Former

Solicitor General of the Philippines The Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines (), formerly known as the Bureau of Justice, is an independent and autonomous office attached to the Department of Justice. The OSG is headed by Darlene Berberabe. The Office of the Solic ...

Francisco Chavez Francisco "Frank" Chavez (6 February 1947 – 11 September 2013) was a Filipino lawyer. He was the Solicitor General of the Philippines during the Aquino administration. Early life Born as Francisco Ibrado Chavez in Bateria, Sagay, Negros Occ ...

, whom Dingel asked to serve as his counsel, said that he would appeal the court decision before it became final on Christmas Eve 2008. Dingel died on October 18, 2010, in Las Pinas City, Metro Manila in the Philippines.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dingel, Daniel Fraudsters People from San Fernando, La Union Water fuel 1928 births 2010 deaths