Revolutionary air car that runs on compressed air coming soon

RolandTD20KdrummerRolandTD20Kdrummer Posts: 13,066
edited January 2008 in A Moving Train
http://www.inteldaily.com/?c=120&a=4755

"BBC News is reporting that a French company has developed a pollution-free car which runs on compressed air. India's Tata Motors has the car under production and it may be on sale in Europe and India by the end of the year.

The air car, also known as the Mini-CAT or City Cat, can be refueled in minutes from an air compressor at specially equipped gas stations and can go 200 km on a 1.5 euro fill-up -- roughly 125 miles for $3. The top speed will be almost 70 mph and the cost of the vehicle as low as $7000.

The car features a fibreglass body and a revolutionary electrical system and is completely computer-controlled. It is powered by the expansion of compressed air, using no combustion at all, and the exhaust is entirely clean and cool enough for use in the internal air conditioning system.

Tata Motors is known for its interest in innovation and has been selling compressed gas buses since 2000. It is currently working on producing the world's cheapest car, which will be almost 100% plastic and will sell in India for about $2500.

Tata is also expanding into the world market. It acquired Korea's Daweoo in 2004 and is now the top bidder to purchase the originally British Jaguar and Land Rover lines from the United States' troubled Ford Motor Company."
Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.

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Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • I don't know much about engineering etc but this sounds amazing.

    I guess the pros of this compressed air system is environmental of course. Does anyone know what the cons are, if any?


    PS: when I first read the thread title I immediately got images of futuristic flying cars lol. (c'mon, it's the 21st century - someone should have invented those by now!)
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  • I can t see any cons per se in comparison. They are already using public transit buses that run on compressed air. Compressors can be run off solar energy via battery caches. Awesome. This is great news.

    A bit on the workings of it:

    "The MiniC.A.T is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fibreglass. The heart of the electronic and communication system on the car is a computer offering an array of information reports that extends well beyond the speed of the vehicle, and is built to integrate with external systems and almost anything you could dream of, starting with voice recognition, internet connectivity, GSM telephone connectivity, a GPS guidance system, fleet management systems, emergency systems, and of course every form of digital entertainment. The engine is fascinating, as is and the revolutionary electrical system that uses just one cable and so is the vehicle's wireless control system. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators etc

    There are no keys – just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket.

    Most importantly, it is incredibly cost-efficient to run – according to the designers, it costs less than one Euro per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km. The car has a top speed of 68 mph.

    Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 1.5 Euros, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometres.

    As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours.

    Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000 Km.

    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.

    How does it work?

    90m3 of compressed air is stored in fibre tanks. The expansion of this air pushes the pistons and creates movement. The atmospheric temperature is used to re-heat the engine and increase the road coverage. The air conditioning system makes use of the expelled cold air. Due to the absence of combustion and the fact there is no pollution, the oil change is only necessary every 31.000 miles.

    At the moment, four models have been made: a car, a taxi (5 passengers), a Pick-Up truck and a van. The final selling price will be approximately 5.500 pounds. "
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
    (")_(")
  • my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    the world will be completely different in 20 years...


    hopefully for the good
  • Drowned OutDrowned Out Posts: 6,056
    I can t see any cons per se in comparison. They are already using public transit buses that run on compressed air.

    The article says the busses are running on compressed gas...

    Man, this is the best news Ive heard in a long time.
    I've had a feeling that big oil has been trying to find a way to control whatever is the next big thing in alternative energy...they positioned themselves to control the hydrogen refueling stations if fuel cells ended up being the choice...but I really don't know how they can control this. Even if there is some kind of elaborate connection to refuel, you would think it could be replicated and sold to the public...imagine refueling from a compressor in your garage!
    Should be interesting, if this thing is as viable as it sounds, to see just how much influence big oil has over government, vs. how committed the govt's really are to renewable energy.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    cool
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    The article says the busses are running on compressed gas...
    There are a bunch of transit buses worldwide running on compressed gas....propane or LNG. The downside is the danger of fire/explosion. These vehicles all must be equipped with a fire suppression/gas detection system.
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  • i'll believe it when i see it. I'm still waitning on my electric car.
  • Here's a video news report from the BBC

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSwlTqaM1oA

    .
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
    (")_(")
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