Car manufacturer DeLorean has launched a crowd-funding project on Kickstarter to help fund the development of a waste-powered car.

The ‘DMC-12’ car prototype utilises a ‘Mr Fusion’ home energy reactor, developed by Fusion Industries, which can reportedly convert residual household waste to power the car’s flux capacitor using nuclear fusion.

It is estimated that the fuel source could generate around 1.21 gigawatts of power, and enable the car to reach top speeds of 88 miles per hour.

The power unit, situated at the back of the car, can accept a range of organic and packaging waste as a fuel source. The project has already been backed by a range of companies, including renewable energy and waste reduction organisations.

The Kickstarter campaign needs to reach £82,600 (the equivalent of sending one thousand tonnes of residual waste to landfill) by 1 June, though the developers are reported to have said that “time is flexible”.

‘Technology really can take us to the future’

Speaking of the project, Dr Emmett Brown, the developer of the Mr Fusion reactor, said: “This technology really can take us to the future. It’s electrical, but it needs a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to run at its best. If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious [stuff].

“Suddenly, the future's looking a whole lot better.”

Chief Executive Officer of DeLorean, Martin McFly, added: “History is going to change.”

He noted that the company will also be launching a Kickstarter project for hoverboards in the near future.

Find out more about the DeLorean Kickstarter project.