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[Adventurer]

Air Cars: A New Wind for America's Roads?
by Jim Ostroff
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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Courtesy of MDI

A new carmaker has a plan for cheap, environmentally friendly cars to be built all over the country

An air-powered car? It may be available sooner than you think at a price tag that will hardly be a budget buster. The vehicle may not run like a speed racer on back road highways, but developer Zero Pollution Motors is betting consumers will be willing to fork over $20,000 for a vehicle that can motor around all day on nothing but air and a splash of salad oil, alcohol or possibly a pint of gasoline.

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The expertise needed to build a compressed air car, or CAV, is not rocket science, either. Years-old, off-the-shelf technology uses compressed air to drive old-fashioned car engine pistons instead of combusting gas or diesel fuel to create a burst of air to do the same thing. Indian carmaker Tata has no qualms about the technology. It has already bought the rights to make the car for the huge Indian market.

The air car can tool along at a top speed of 35 mph for some 60 miles or so on a tank of compressed air, a sufficient distance for 80% of consumers to commute to work and back and complete daily chores.


Courtesy of MDI

On highways, the CAV can cruise at interstate speeds for nearly 800 miles with a small motor that compresses outside air to keep the tank filled. The motor isn't finicky about fuel. It will burn gasoline or diesel as well as biodiesel, ethanol or vegetable oil

COMPRESSEDAIR

[Tiger Beer]

$20,000 is too high.

The fact they don't go over 35mph is the reason people wouldn't pay $20,000 for them...plus they can only go 60 miles before the putter out.

I can certainly seeing it being a hit in India, Southeast Asia, and perhaps even a state like Hawaii might see their presense...but I certainly don't see it happening in North America.

At least manufacturers have the right idea however.

[mindmetoo]

Converting x to electricity to compressed air to mechanical energy? Is that more efficient then say converting x to electricity and then storing it in a battery or as hydrogen?

I used to think such vehicles were ultimately coal burning cars with the coal being burned in someone else's backyard. However, I think if such vehicles became standard, the public would not much tolerate the construction of additional coal plants to make up the new power demand and would demand nuclear, geothermal, wind, wave, etc.

[Jandar]

But air is everywhere!

[sojourner1]

Seems to me it would be highly efficient to have a small gas engine as an air compressor for 2 tanks. While one depleted tank is filling, you could drive on the second tank. Maybe you could also have a 3rd tank if necessary to avoid having to stop and wait. It's also possible the tanks could be made of titanium or something very strong to allow super high pressure though this would probably result in explosions that maim people or too much weight to armor up the air tanks. I think they could be onto something here with possibilities to reach much higher speeds. I would guess they're studying if and how much more efficient using a small gas engine for air compression. Sounds like a real idea, but we fail to get something for nothing without excessive risks.

The main reason why alternative energy such as electric is not practical is it's limited on speed and distance where it's slower and you have to wait.

[mindmetoo]