"The $12,700 CityCAT, one of the planned Air Car models, reaches 68 mph, goes for a range of 125 miles. It will take only a few minutes for the CityCAT to refuel at gas stations equipped with high pressure air compressor units. MDI says it should cost only around $2 to fill the car up with 340 liters of air to take you 125 miles! That's 62 miles per dollar. (unless you had your own air compressor, then it would be less.)
The Air Car will be starting production soon, thanks to India's TATA Motors (the company that already makes the $2500 car.)"
All that air pressure -- i can't help but imagine the air tank cap comes off unexpectedly... then the occupant gets treated to a zany flight around the city like an accidentally released balloon.
That made my day. Lets hope they are a huge success in India and Europe, so they'll cross over to the U.S.
However, why do all the innovative energy saving cars have to be so akwardly designed? I think you lose half the potential car shoppers before they even know the benefits, simply because they don't want to drive around in something that looks like a cartoon. that front bumper needs some rethinking.
I love this idea! And I think it's cute enough. When it was driving past what looked like a mid-80s Honda and other cars I personally thought it looked a lot better than those 'conventional' cars.
But let's back up a bit: how does one get compressed air? A pump, I guess? And what runs the pump?
My question is: is there much energy needed to make the compressed air? I'm guessing not, but don't know for sure.
So, instead of a spare gas can, a bike pump?
I keep seeing compressed air being used as a means of storing energy and it seems very exciting to see these more complex applications. The solar industry is looking at replacing batteries with compressed air tanks because they are cheaper and less environmentally damaging than batteries. Throw a small air compressor in the car, add solar panels on top and watch the range increase, not to mention filling up while your car is in the parking lot. Good things are coming...
j
I dunnoh...lets hope it catches...GM was on the tip of the hydrogen car more than 30 years ago...this video is pretty disturbing considering what the industry actually followed with.
Interestingly, in the long run this removes the need for all that oil infrastructure. With a car like this, you can truly go off the grid - all you need is an air compressor and some means of powering it (water, wind, solar etc). It removes the specificity of the type of stored energy needed to power your personal transportation.
Since you raised the question of infrastructure, kungapa: one of the things that interests me is that a different type of car, a non-polluting one, would still be able to utilize the existing (enormous) road infrastructure we already have.
Now I'm definitely not a big fan of that infrastructure, because of its well-documented sprawl problems (community and personal). But it seems to me we need to come to terms with whether we're going to KEEP the road infrastructure or move beyond it.
My city has been talking light rail for years, and I can't help but feel that light rail is still really a 20th century solution - 19th century, honestly. I'm curious what the next people movement technology will be. It seems that an extensive, well-organized bus system running on compressed air could use the existing roads but be non-polluting.
What's wrong with cars? Why can't we use cars that don't pollute? I like driving, and I don't like busses and trains. Give me a nice electric car with decent range (like a Tesla) and I'd be a happy camper.
i think i'll develop a line of scents in a small pressurized bottle so people can leave a trail of olfactory pleasantness (or perhaps a sub-line of urban decay scents) in their wake.
seems like the compressed air leaving the tank would cool the tank - making an opportunity for a built-in heat-pump system. free a/c!!!!
Apu, when it comes to mass transit, one directive is to provide movement for people who can't afford a car, or can't drive.
Keep your car, I will too, but there need to be options. My question is: what should the infrastructure of future mass transit be, and shouldn't we consider the existing massive infrastructure of roads that we already have. An air-driven vehicle seems to support that idea, be it for personal or mass transit use.
"There is also an air car that has a compressor on board that makes more compressed air while you are driving removing the need for filling up at all."
Yeah, it goes on to say that a final production car could be a hybrid (gas runs the compressor, or whatever) and could go from LA to NY on a tank of gas.
Pneumatic Car
"The $12,700 CityCAT, one of the planned Air Car models, reaches 68 mph, goes for a range of 125 miles. It will take only a few minutes for the CityCAT to refuel at gas stations equipped with high pressure air compressor units. MDI says it should cost only around $2 to fill the car up with 340 liters of air to take you 125 miles! That's 62 miles per dollar. (unless you had your own air compressor, then it would be less.)
The Air Car will be starting production soon, thanks to India's TATA Motors (the company that already makes the $2500 car.)"
That is pretty amazing...
All that air pressure -- i can't help but imagine the air tank cap comes off unexpectedly... then the occupant gets treated to a zany flight around the city like an accidentally released balloon.
That made my day. Lets hope they are a huge success in India and Europe, so they'll cross over to the U.S.
However, why do all the innovative energy saving cars have to be so akwardly designed? I think you lose half the potential car shoppers before they even know the benefits, simply because they don't want to drive around in something that looks like a cartoon. that front bumper needs some rethinking.
regradless, thanx for posting!
LOL, KURT! hahahaha..
I love this idea! And I think it's cute enough. When it was driving past what looked like a mid-80s Honda and other cars I personally thought it looked a lot better than those 'conventional' cars.
But let's back up a bit: how does one get compressed air? A pump, I guess? And what runs the pump?
My question is: is there much energy needed to make the compressed air? I'm guessing not, but don't know for sure.
There is also an air car that has a compressor on board that makes more compressed air while you are driving removing the need for filling up at all.
So, instead of a spare gas can, a bike pump?
I keep seeing compressed air being used as a means of storing energy and it seems very exciting to see these more complex applications. The solar industry is looking at replacing batteries with compressed air tanks because they are cheaper and less environmentally damaging than batteries. Throw a small air compressor in the car, add solar panels on top and watch the range increase, not to mention filling up while your car is in the parking lot. Good things are coming...
j
I dunnoh...lets hope it catches...GM was on the tip of the hydrogen car more than 30 years ago...this video is pretty disturbing considering what the industry actually followed with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJVzySk0Pks
Interestingly, in the long run this removes the need for all that oil infrastructure. With a car like this, you can truly go off the grid - all you need is an air compressor and some means of powering it (water, wind, solar etc). It removes the specificity of the type of stored energy needed to power your personal transportation.
Since you raised the question of infrastructure, kungapa: one of the things that interests me is that a different type of car, a non-polluting one, would still be able to utilize the existing (enormous) road infrastructure we already have.
Now I'm definitely not a big fan of that infrastructure, because of its well-documented sprawl problems (community and personal). But it seems to me we need to come to terms with whether we're going to KEEP the road infrastructure or move beyond it.
My city has been talking light rail for years, and I can't help but feel that light rail is still really a 20th century solution - 19th century, honestly. I'm curious what the next people movement technology will be. It seems that an extensive, well-organized bus system running on compressed air could use the existing roads but be non-polluting.
What's wrong with cars? Why can't we use cars that don't pollute? I like driving, and I don't like busses and trains. Give me a nice electric car with decent range (like a Tesla) and I'd be a happy camper.
i think i'll develop a line of scents in a small pressurized bottle so people can leave a trail of olfactory pleasantness (or perhaps a sub-line of urban decay scents) in their wake.
seems like the compressed air leaving the tank would cool the tank - making an opportunity for a built-in heat-pump system. free a/c!!!!
Apu, when it comes to mass transit, one directive is to provide movement for people who can't afford a car, or can't drive.
Keep your car, I will too, but there need to be options. My question is: what should the infrastructure of future mass transit be, and shouldn't we consider the existing massive infrastructure of roads that we already have. An air-driven vehicle seems to support that idea, be it for personal or mass transit use.
Valid point, but thats a really hard question to answer.
"There is also an air car that has a compressor on board that makes more compressed air while you are driving removing the need for filling up at all."
Perpetual motion machine. Well that was easy.
Yeah, it goes on to say that a final production car could be a hybrid (gas runs the compressor, or whatever) and could go from LA to NY on a tank of gas.
Made it to CNN.com: 106 mpg 'air car' creates buzz, questions.
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