Eco-car taken for testing drive

The car would take more than a month to travel the world

An eco-car which can reportedly travel the world using less energy than that needed to power a lightbulb is being tested on Thursday.

Jack Dex, 13, of Southam College, Warwickshire will be at the wheel of the Shell Eco Marathon prototype at the Rockingham Racetrack in Corby.

He was picked because of his small size and because he is a junior kart driver.

The hydrogen-powered car needs just 25-watts to cover a global trip - with a top speed of 30mph.

British gases firm BOC said the car, known as the BOC Ech2o, only emits water.

Fuel-efficiency record

It is being put to the test to see if it can break the world fuel efficiency record of more than 10,000 miles per gallon.

The car was created by several UK firms including BOC and OSCar Automitive.

BOC spokesman John Carolin said: "It sounds unbelievable how little power is used to keep the BOC Ech2o moving, but it demonstrates the impact of careful design and is a valuable lesson for car makers in the future."

The record is currently held by the PAC-Car II, a hydrogen-fuelled Swiss vehicle, that travelled the equivalent of 5,385 km/per litre at a testing track in France.