The first commercial car to be powered by compressed air could be about to hit the production lines, as
Indian automaker Tata Motors prepares to build ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre's design. We're not certain if it's
the same air car that we hit just under three years ago, but if it is, it's about time! The City Cat runs on nothing but compressed air -- which can be refueled at "air stations," and overnight using a built-in compressor -- with a not too shabby top speed of 68MPH and a range of 125 miles. The Air Car designers are working on a hybrid version that can compress air while it's operating, potentially making cross-India journeys possible: Toyota Prius, eat your hybrid heart out. As
EcoGeek points out, the game ain't up just yet for completely emissions free travel since the problem of the source of the electricity (usually acquired from fossil fuels) has yet to be solved. Plus, the fugly design really doesn't do it any favours: why does "green" have to mean "gah?"
[Via
Digg]
posted May 27th 2007 6:15PM
["Since both the compression and running of engine on compressed gas will be much less than 100% efficient the amount of energy one could extract would be much less than the amount extra wasted in the engine."]
I did think about that, but did not post in order to keep things simple. At this stage it's just a thought with some possible technical hurdles that could be overcome.
"the problem of the source of the electricity (usually acquired from fossil fuels) has yet to be solved"
You mean, like, by somehow changing the laws of thermodynamics? Because otherwise, this isn't a problem that can be "solved."
To the author of this article:
Fugly? Dude, the only thing that's fugly is the name
Conrad Quilty-Harper. It makes you sound like you knit your own lingerie.
I just stumbled across this website when I was trying to find out what happened to MDI and their air car. Good to see it will finally roll out for production in India. Love the comments some of you have left. This is not an Indian car and not designed espescially for the Indian market. Check out www.theaircar.com . You will find this and many more designs by MDI and Guy Nègre as well as his genius way of marketing the car through giving out licenses for production and even offering turn key manufacturing plants for sale. I have been watching his developments for a while and cannot wait to get my fingers on one of these cars as soon as they will be available in the UK. I live in the Scottish countryside and could actually produce my own electricity by water or air. Now there is a really clean car !!!!
Great idea with gas prices soaring over 3.00 a gallon in the USA. I see this destroying the fossil fuel industry that has not had to compete for over 50+ years, I had herd rumors of this idea years ago and heard that the oil companies took out a hit on the designer as it will bankrupt the major oil companies like mobile #1.
I am all for a short distance alternative that doesn’t cost me 30 bucks a tank on small 10 gallon tank, I might drive 200 miles every 2 weeks from work and leasure. I would buy this car in and instant and give the oil company that price gouges me the finger. I remember less than 5 years ago paying 13.50 to fill my tank at the rate of increase I am all about getting away from gas-powered cars now before we see prices in the 5.00 per gallon range. I see a lot of hungry Arabs in the near future and there gold palaces built on oil tumbling.
Since “green” businesses are popping up left and right, I love that The Social Venture Network is holding a contest to reward business leaders of socially responsible companies! If you know a CEO or high-level person in such a company, please send this link to them:
www.svn.org/imaginewhatsnext .
So this is the latest fab. Compressed air huh, sounds more like Science fiction again to another failed approach just as Biodiesel, electric's and so on. When are people going to get a clue. STOP! buying into this garbage and start walking for once or support the government when they try to implement mass public transportation! Reduction in fossil fuels, ultimately our pocket books will only come at a sacrifice to our wants.
Ok, as people keep mentioning perpetual motion, why not, as stated above in a similar way, use the movement of the car to generate more compressed air. Not like adding a propeller or something silly like one compressor using just the braking motion of the car like the Prius uses to recharge its batteries, but using the circular motion of the wheels the entire time the car is moving. Simply add a small, low resistance compressor to each one of the wheels that would provide compression each rotation of the wheel at seperate intervals to lessen the overall wheel resistance. For those of you who followed that, congratulations. AKA, small, low resistance compressor on each wheel to provide constant compression while the viechle is moving at all while only creating a minimal amount of drag. Something like that. There is my two cents. Please comment!