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Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
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 Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 10:25 pm Post subject: Wow! 6,000 eco-friendly Air-Powered Cars from India in 2008 |
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Is this cool or what?! I really think India is on to something here:
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Air-Car Ready for Mass Production
By Bob Ewing
The world�'s first commercial compressed air-powered vehicle is rolling towards the production line. The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy N�gre, will be built by India�s largest automaker, Tata Motors.
The Air Car uses compressed air to push its engine�s pistons. It is anticipated that approximately 6000 Air Cars will be cruising the streets of India by 2008. If the manufacturers have no surprises up their exhaust pipes the car will be practical and reasonably priced. The CityCat model will clock out at 68 mph with a driving range of 125 miles.
Refueling is simple and will only take a few minutes. That is, if you live nearby a gas station with custom air compressor units. The cost of a fill up is approximately $2.00. If a driver doesn't have access to a compressor station, they will be able to plug into the electrical grid and use the car�s built-in compressor to refill the tank in about 4 hours.
The compressed air technology is basically just a way of storing electrical energy without the need for costly, heavy, and occasionally toxic batteries. So, in a sense, this is an electric car. It just doesn't have an electric motor.
But don't let anyone tell you this is an "emissions free" vehicle. Sure, the only thing coming out of the tailpipe is air. But, chances are, fossil fuels were burned to create the electricity. In India, that mostly means coal. But the carbon emissions per mile of these things still far outdoes any gasoline car on the market.
Unfortunately, the streets of North America may never see the Air Car, though; it's light-weight, glued-together fiberglass construction might not do so well in our crash tests. However, that does not mean the Air car is confined to the sub-continent. N�gre has signed deals to bring its design to 12 more countries, including Germany, Israel and South Africa.
And this isn't the last we'll hear of the technology. The folks making the Air Car are already working on a hybrid version that would use an on-board, gasoline-powered compressor to refill the air tanks when they run low. Negre says that technology could easily squeeze a cross country trip out of one tank of gasoline.
A variety of videos (of varying quality) on this technology can be found on YouTube, or after the jump.
Via: Popular Mechanics |
http://green.yahoo.com/index.php?q=node/315
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Tata Motors Signs Agreement with MDI for Compressed Air Engine
5 February 2007
Tata Motors, India�s largest automobile company, has signed an agreement with MDI (Moteur Developpment International) of France for the application in India of MDI�s compressed air engines. MDI has already applied its CAT (Compressed Air Technology) engine in a prototype city car, the MiniCAT.
The agreement between Tata Motors and MDI envisages Tata�s supporting further development and refinement of the technology, and its application and licensing for India.
MDI has for many years been engaged in developing environment-friendly engines. MDI is happy to conclude this agreement with Tata Motors and work together with this important and experienced industrial group to develop a new and cost-saving technology for various applications for the Indian market that meets with severe regulations for environmental protection. We are continuing the development with our own business concept of licensing car manufacturers in other parts of the world where the production is located close to the markets. We have also developed this new technology for other applications where cost competitiveness combined with respect for environmental questions has our priority.
�Guy Negre, founder MDI
The core of MDI�s work is a piston engine powered by the expansion of compressed air. MDI has developed two versions: a single fuel engine that relies solely upon compressed air, and a dual-fuel version that uses compressed air and a combustible fuel. When running under 50 kph (31 mph) in urban areas, the engine runs on air. At speeds greater than 50 kph, the engine switches to fuel mode. In this mode, the on-board compressor also refills the compressed air tanks.
The current production version of the compressed air engine applied in the MiniCat is a four-cylinder, 800cc unit that uses a boxer design. A proprietary connection rod allows the retention of the piston at top dead center during 70� of crankshaft rotation�providing enough time to establish the required pressure in the cylinder.
Tata Motors has more than 4 million Tata vehicles on the road in India, and is the leader in commercial vehicles and the second largest in passenger vehicles. It is also the world�s fifth largest medium and heavy truck manufacturer and the second largest heavy bus manufacturer.
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http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/02/tata_motors_sig.html
I'd like to buy stock in this company. Anyone know how I might do that? I've never invested in stock before but this really has me thinking. I'm not even sure they are on the public stock market for trading. I'm being serious!
Last edited by Vicissitude on Wed May 30, 2007 10:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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I liked it right away as well.
I've long thought that if I were to go back home, I'd get an electric car despite whatever sticker prices for such cars.
This air-car fits this idea well. |
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Octavius Hite
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Location: Househunting, looking for a new bunker from which to convert the world to homosexuality.
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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The problem with the air car (and I have studied it in Uni) and the hydrogen and electric car is how do you generate the fuel.
Yes the air car is clean but you have to generate compressed gas to run it. You need electricity to compress the gas and if you are burning coal to make electricity then you are just shifting the problem.
U need nuclear or hydro electricity generation to make this work.
Sorry.
http://www.theaircar.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_car |
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Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 10:53 pm Post subject: www.fossilfreefuel.com |
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This car is only available in India starting in 2008. If you are not from India, may I suggest this website: http://www.fossilfreefuel.com/
This is about converting a diesel engine of an automobile over to one that will take waste oil from fast food restaurants. I knew of people who did this, mainly to save money as the gas prices tripled. They gave me all the pros and cons but I really think the pros far outweigh the cons. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Octavius Hite wrote: |
The problem with the air car (and I have studied it in Uni) and the hydrogen and electric car is how do you generate the fuel.
Yes the air car is clean but you have to generate compressed gas to run it. You need electricity to compress the gas and if you are burning coal to make electricity then you are just shifting the problem.
U need nuclear or hydro electricity generation to make this work.
Sorry.
http://www.theaircar.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_car |
And given a large majority of North American electricity is coal fired, really the air car is nothing but a coal burning car. You're just moving the pollution to someone else's backyard.
India might be able to build out its hydro electricity but most of the developed world has already maxed out it hydro generation. That leaves coal and nuclear. No new nuclear plants are slated to be built in North America. Assuming something like an air car could take off, the extra demand on the grid would be made up with coal fired plants.
Not good. |
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Alyallen
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Location: The 4th Greatest Place on Earth = Jeonju!!!
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Octavius Hite wrote: |
The problem with the air car (and I have studied it in Uni) and the hydrogen and electric car is how do you generate the fuel.
Yes the air car is clean but you have to generate compressed gas to run it. You need electricity to compress the gas and if you are burning coal to make electricity then you are just shifting the problem.
U need nuclear or hydro electricity generation to make this work.
Sorry.
http://www.theaircar.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_car |
it's got to beat some of the clunkers puttering around in India...
You got to give a little to get a little...that's the way it goes until someone gets a viable new emissions free vehicle on the road and in productions...
If only it was sold in Korea....People would be forced to drive slower! |
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jinju
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Its just the usual form of pollution displacement. Nothing groundbreaking here folks. |
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Octavius Hite
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Location: Househunting, looking for a new bunker from which to convert the world to homosexuality.
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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Its been around for a long time and been tried many times but never really caught on. If you were to combine it with a major nuclear/hydro/wind/solar power project then we would be getting somewhere.
Even Ballard has said that unless we go nuclear we will still be burning coal to generate hydrogen. |
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