You’d have to have been living in a cave for the past couple of decades not to realise that humans are working hard to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Automobiles are one of the main users of fossil fuels, and the hunt for a better electric car and alternative fuel source has been on in earnest.

One that might surprise you is salt water. Covering 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface, it’s not a resource we’re likely to run out of any time soon. We don’t have to dig dirty great holes in the ground to mine it; it doesn’t harm the environment. It seems ideal.

The technology has been rapidly improving over the past few years, with the latest and greatest result the Quant F, manufactured by a company called nanoFlowcell AG. The company name refers to the innovative battery developed and refined over the past decade to extract and store five times more energy than from any other ionic fuel battery.

The process is similar to that of a hydrogen fuel cell, except this one stores its energy in salt water contained in two tanks, with opposite (positive/negative) electric charges. The water passes through a membrane between the tanks, creating an electrical charge that is stored and distributed by super capacitors.

The Quant F is a sleek-looking sport scar, and the company claims it is capable of speeds in excess of 300km/h, going from 0-100 in 2.8 seconds, with 746kW of power and a range of up to 800km before requiring recharge.

Unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the Quant F technology has been approved for use on German public roads.

Watch this space.