This is hard to believe. We must wait and see....
What is this?
Will it be the next big thing? Tata Motors thinks so.
It is an auto engine that runs on air.
That's right; air, not gas or diesel or electric, but just the air around us.
Tata Motors of India has scheduled the Air Car to hit Indian streets by August 2011
The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy N. For Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air to push its engine's pistons and make the car go.
The Air Car, called the "Mini CAT" could cost around 365,757 rupees in India or $8,177 US.
The Mini CAT which is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis, a body of fiberglass that is glued not welded and powered by compressed air. A Microprocessor is used to control all electrical functions of the car. One tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, turn signals and every other electrical device on the car. Which are not many.
The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0-15 degrees below zero, which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.
There are no keys, just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket. According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100 KM, that's about a tenth the cost of a car running on gas. It's mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car, a factor which makes it a perfect choice for city motorists. The car has a top speed of 105 KM per hour or 60 mph and would have a range of around 300 km or 185 miles between refuels. Refilling the car will take place at adapted gas stations with special air compressors. A fill up will only take two to three minutes and costs approximately 100 rupees and the car will be ready to go another 300 kilometers.
This car can also be filled at home with it's on board compressor. It will take 3-4 hours to refill the tank, but it can be done while you sleep.
Because there is no combustion engine, changing the 1 liter of vegetable oil is only necessary every 50,000 KM or 30,000 miles. Due to its simplicity, there is very little maintenance to be done on this car.
This Air Car almost sounds too good to be true. We'll see in August.
Tata Motors of India has scheduled the Air Car to hit Indian streets by August 2011
The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy N. For Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air to push its engine's pistons and make the car go.
The Air Car, called the "Mini CAT" could cost around 365,757 rupees in India or $8,177 US.
The Mini CAT which is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis, a body of fiberglass that is glued not welded and powered by compressed air. A Microprocessor is used to control all electrical functions of the car. One tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, turn signals and every other electrical device on the car. Which are not many.
The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0-15 degrees below zero, which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.
There are no keys, just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket. According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100 KM, that's about a tenth the cost of a car running on gas. It's mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car, a factor which makes it a perfect choice for city motorists. The car has a top speed of 105 KM per hour or 60 mph and would have a range of around 300 km or 185 miles between refuels. Refilling the car will take place at adapted gas stations with special air compressors. A fill up will only take two to three minutes and costs approximately 100 rupees and the car will be ready to go another 300 kilometers.
This car can also be filled at home with it's on board compressor. It will take 3-4 hours to refill the tank, but it can be done while you sleep.
Because there is no combustion engine, changing the 1 liter of vegetable oil is only necessary every 50,000 KM or 30,000 miles. Due to its simplicity, there is very little maintenance to be done on this car.
This Air Car almost sounds too good to be true. We'll see in August.
4 comments:
This car has been around for several years and was developed by MDI in France. There was a company in New York, Zero Pollution Motors, that was going to sell them in the US, but seems they have shut down. They were at the 2008 Car Show in New York. Don't look for this to happen in the US. Bet that Big Oil and the government put a halt to it. They certainly don't want us to have an almost energy free car to drive.
It's a great concept but doesn't even hint at complying with the safety and performance mandates required by the US. ....All of those great numbers melt away once you start adding weight for the sake of compliance. ....It's a novel concept that just doesn't fit the paradigm the US has made.
this car does NOT run on air or compressed air.
It runs on the energy supplied to the air compressor; normally this would be electricity.
This is NOT an energy free car or "almost energy free".
This car simply displaces the pollution from the car to the remote generating station.
Reducing weight is good since it reduces energy requirements, but Americans do not understand energy conservation yet. As liquid hydrocarbon prices continue to rise towards infinity, someday people will start to understand; although it may be too late.
Don't be such a party pooper. I would much rather get stuck in rush hour traffic behind a bunch of these type cars so I can still breathe and my eyes don't burn.
Your point is well made...but consider this...put solar panels on your roof & run your compressor from them.
Now your green!
Besides, this car cost 1/4th to 1/2 the price of other cars today...and uses vegetable oil in the motor.
Soon the corporation/defacto thieves & all their ridiculous regulations are going out the window, then anything goes down the road.
Then don't forget about the GFL bringing off world technology that (they claim) will antiquate our current cars & planes!
At that same time (which is upon us now) those power plants you complain about using coal & nuclear to make energy will be replaced by zero point & cold fusion (and who knows what else green technology) so then these little air powered cars would be just fine.
You have to think outside of the box sometimes.
I'm sure John could tell you about the suppressed Tesla technology that is to be released soon where you drive 2 rods in the ground in your back yard & place a Tesla Coil on them...and hook up the wires to you main panel (and disconnect from the grid) and get free energy from thin air forever & enough for about 10 of your neighbors to hook up too. Cost about $3K and you split that with your buddies next door and so what is that? $300. chump change.
I like the part about the exhaust pumped inside the passenger compartment for AC. :) Mr.Ed
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