Fuel cells are one of those things that we have heard about for a while now that always seem to be years away from reality. MTI Micro has unveiled a prototype of a fuel cell charger called the Mobion that it hopes to have on the market by the end of 2009. The charger is small and gets power from interchangeable fuel tanks that plug into a larger body.

A USB port is built into the device to allow for charging of anything that connects via USB, which is a lot of stuff these days. One cartridge of fuel promises enough energy to recharge an average cell phone over ten times, enough to power the average phone for a month. The fuel cell is getting closer to being a reality; I just hope the charger itself and the refill cartridges are affordable.

“Our Mobion product strategy is in line with what consumers on-the-go need. On average, in the U.S., mobile professionals carry 3.4 portable electronic devices with them, and are now buying a universal charger to conveniently recharge all their device batteries.” said Peng Lim, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MTI. “However, these conventional chargers still need to plug into an electrical outlet to recharge once the energy is used. Our Mobion charger allows consumers to charge their devices anytime, anywhere by eliminating the need to plug their devices or Mobion charger into a wall outlet and wait for a recharge – our Mobion charger generate electric power on the go and provides true mobility.”

Via MTI Micro