MDI's AirCar hits the streets, no one is safe. Especially not the air. Or the cars.
By Paul Miller 
posted August 23rd 2008 10:02AM
posted August 23rd 2008 10:02AM
*We're kidding. Cats are awesome.
[Via AutoblogGreen]
posted August 23rd 2008 10:02AM
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what an angry looking car..
@Anthony
Perhaps a small scale wind turbine or windmill could be combined with solar panels to provide compressed air AND energy to heat it in an unlimited supply. Engineering of the cars would be... different than the conventional.
Is there hope to this idea? I would hope so. Or a similar concept.
Leveraging an energy which the car could produce while driving would throw transportation costs down, perhaps make it free.
If this thing crashes, will it go flying around the countryside like letting go of a balloon? Cool.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more vaporous it becomes. They claim it can go up to 40 miles, and up to 70 mph. But you can bet your butt it can't go 40 miles at 70 mph. In fact, I bet it can't go much more than 1 mile at 70. That is a lot of air resistance to fight. Further, I imagine it is probably maximized at 15-25 mph.
Forget it. It's vapor.
it doesn't look very aerodynamic.
one question remains:
Will it Blend?
Cats are awesome specially lolcats
Dear Penquin
The ARE energy losses in converting from AC to DC.
1. Resistance of the wires from transformer to battery. E=IR Watts= E x I
2. "Copper losses" in the transformer wiring resistance itself.
3. "Iron Losses" , the energy of magnetization and demagnetization.
4. Internal battery resistance while charging.
#2 and #3 is why transformers get hot under use and big ones are immersed in cooling oil and have cooling fins!
TANSTAAFL ! S/F writer Heinlein wrote. There aint no such thing as a free lunch.
Dr. Zharkhov !
arn't there a/c motors?
Steve Holt!
well to those people who think you can pull up to your local gas station and find a compressor that will give you the 4500 or 5600 psi required to fill the tanks live on a different planet than the rest of us
50miles range is probably achieved through massive weight reduction...and basically ignoring safety
a prius would probably crush that thing like a tin can.
I think a lot of people miss the point. The car has a normal internal combustion piston engine that is powered by compressed air. The air moves the pistons and the car moves.
For all the talk and billions going into creating electric cars and batteries, imagine just making a more efficient engine. Something that can be done fairly easily.
ICE hydrogen for example. A few tweakes and the engine runs or air. No need for messy batteries that can cause a lot of enviromental problems.
"The car has been seen sporting French plates, meaning it's actually been approved for use there -- unsurprising, considering the car's 2009 planned launch in France" : i'm french and happen to live in the same department at this car, but it just rang a bell right now this car's plate is strangely outdated.
Lemme explain : 4 first digits are serial numbers, from 1 to 9999, letters are serials "names", and 2 last digits are department code,following department's name : Ain department is 01 Var department is 83, Vaucluse is 84 and so on.Problem is that in many departments (including 83rd) had too many car's plate issued and had to add a 3rd letter to increase the potential number of plates, so, before re-starting with AAA,AAB and so on series, this YH plate must have been issued 3 or 4 years ago, at least.
You don't need to be negative !
Yes at this moment it's a small car, Yes it's not so performant !
BUT it's a real revolution...a car can drive without oil (it's stange nobody tell us that !) and now we can imagine to leave oil for other thing !
We need to change and to imagine an other world without big car to do the smaller lift !
Like a Smart but better and cleaner when the big company will use this technology !
See it at www.ecolo-trader.fr
http://www.ecolo-trader.fr/Premiere-immatriculation-de-la-voiture-a-air-compr-vtptc-94.php
;-))
Please note that the air compressors at the local gas station won't fill this- the tank stores air at 300 bar or about 4300 PSI- this level of compressed air requires special ( read expensive) compressors and care in handling. It is higher than the 3000 pounds which for many years was the SCUBA standard in the US and almost 3 times what standard welding oxygen tanks are filled to.
Thank you for that real insight, but you're blowing people's fantasies here. It's very appealing to think that a 100PSI tire pump can let you drive 50mi for 75 cents.
Would someone really buy this thing?
Forget the Airsoft pellets, just propel the Aircar at the cats.
It's an interesting concept, AIR.
I wonder if it wouldn't be more efficient to heat water to it's boiling point. The energy potential would be enormous... they could call it 'the steam engine'.
Why not a stirling engine even?
Also, I am working on a conversion kit to make a Geo Metro into a compressed air car. First I take out the engine, bend the exhaust pipe up through the roof. Now all I need is a 16 ft diameter rubber balloon-- anyone know where I can get one? :-)
I saw this on the science channel. They are working on a model that uses compressed air to run the car and a generator that can run a compressor. The compressor can refill the tanks with air. So if it works this is a self refilling hybrid. With a 8 gallon tank of gas/biofuel it can heat the air and go 90 mph and 800 miles per tank. Its a great idea if it works. This way we can stick it to the big oil companies and use air to get to work.. how will uncle same tax that?
Hello,
NEWS from France !
The company AIR FRANCE / KLM will buy the AIR CAR called AIR POD for the french and nederlands airport !
http://www.ecolo-trader.fr/AIR-POD-vehicule-a-air-comprime-aux-couleurs-de--vtptc-150.php
Yes, it still need some energy to go on...but from a geo-political point of view, it is a way to gain some independence from oil countries. And from an ecological point of view, air tank probably creates less pollution than used battery.
Another point is the cost: very cheap compared to current cars.
The website:
http://www.mdi.lu/index.php