The One Million Dollar HHO Challenge

Some readers have asked us to comment on the so-called "The One Million Dollar HHO Challenge" put up by a certain Bruce Simpson from New Zealand.

The challenge reads in part -

"The car will be tuned, checked and prepared by an authorized dealer for the make and model concerned and driven for a month in typical freeway and around-town conditions. The fuel consumption and distance covered will be used to calculate a base-line "real-world" mpg figure.

It will also be submitted to an independent university for testing and establishing a base-line laboratory fuel-consumption figure.

It will then be fitted with the HHO system and re-tested by the university.

For a six month period, it will be driven on the highway and around town, with careful track kept of the distance covered and the gasoline used to fill its tank.

At one month intervals it will be re-tested by the university to provide a spot-comparison with the baseline figures.

At the end of six months, the total mileage and fuel consumed will be calculated to provide a "real world" fuel-efficiency figure.

If either the lab figures or the real-world figures show a 25% or more improvement in fuel efficiency for the six month period after the fitting of the HHO system, the engine will be torn down and examined for any damage that could be produced by an excessively lean-burn.

Any system that fails emissions tests as a result of the addition of the HHO system will be disqualified from the challenge.

If it is given a clean bill of health, the $1m will be paid.

In the event of more than one challenger reaching or breaching the 25% improvement figure, the one who provides the greatest savings will be deemed the winner and receive the $1m.

Those wishing to enter the challenge will have to pay a US$5,000 entry fee, which is obviously pocket-change compared to the $1m that is on offer and will cover the costs associated with running the challenge.

Now I really don't expect anyone to accept this challenge (but I am prepared in the event that they do).

Why won't they accept this challenge?"

A simple Google research on "Bruce Simpson" refers to an entry in Wikipedia, which reads in part -

"Bruce Simpson is a New Zealand based inventor, technologist and technology media commentator. He achieved significant media profile in 2003 when he announced his intention to build a DIY cruise missile for NZ$5000 using only "off-the-shelf" technology. The purpose of the project was to prove the point he made in an article published on 20 May, 2002 that a cruise missile can be built with off the shelf technology and knowledge available to the general public. Bruce states on his FAQ page that he is not developing a new technology or creating a new threat, but creating awareness of an existing threat with the hope that it will stimulate research into an effective defense. The project was put on hold when Simpson was adjudged bankrupt after a prosecution by the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department...

...Bruce resumed and completed construction of the prototype cruise missile. On his website Bruce claims that the missile is in "safe hands" somewhere in New Zealand, in a location unknown to him. Bruce says that not knowing the missile's whereabouts is a legal strategy intended to prevent his prosecution while it is tested..."

While the Wikipedia entry did note that the article needs to be verified, this was cited by denmason in Mr. Simpson's own Aadvark forum in a post dated Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:07 am -"Bruce, How do you plan on making good on the payment of $1 million? Seems you are bankrupt, I just read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Simpson. Sorry Bruce, your challenge means nothing."

The next time Bruce Simpson posted in that thread was on Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:41 pm in response to a different subject matter. He then posted again several times again but did not address the issue raised by denmason.

Anyways, let's get this straight - per Simpson's bet, any taker will have to:

1. Pay Bruce Simpson $5,000
2. Provide a test car
3. Pay an authorized dealer (who gets to choose is not clear) to tune-up the car.
4. Pay a university lab to perform baseline tests.
5. Install the HHO.
6. Pay the university lab again to perform tests.
7. Then pay the university lab to perform monthly tests for six straight months.
8. And if the car shows 25% mileage gains, have the engine torn down for any damage that could be produced by an excessively lean-burn. (Criteria for determining such are not specified.)
9. All the while, paying for the fuel for the test runs.

And if the car passes, Bruce Simpson, who has, per the Wikipedia article, previously declared bankruptcy, offers to pay $1,000,000. Where is he going to get all the money is not clear.

Moreover, the bet does not have any provision on who will shoulder all the pertinent test expenses, it would be safe to assume that Simpson will not be shouldering them, given his reported financial difficulties.

In short, he is offering HHO kit manufacturers to pay him $5,000 to reveal their product design to him, and to test them according to the terms he has set, the finer details of which has not been determined. Especially those defining if the car passes or not. Moreover, there is still not so small matter of the $1,000,000. If Simpson really, truthfully has that amount, he should put it in escrow, publish the proof, so as that to at least be regarded seriously.

Our comment? Hehe.