53
votes

Car that runs on... air!

Feb 12, 2008

One of the most significant problems of modern times is ecology problem. Each and every car, that is running on fossil fuels is harming our planet and make the ecology situation even worse. However, that is not all. Energy problem, which is based on fact that our oil resources are limited, is threatening us more every year. Oil prices jump sky-high and there is no reason for them to be reduced. Alternative fuel is a much-anticipated invention, but unfortunately, other alternative fuel projects were very ineffective. Nevertheless, one of them looks very promising. According to that project, possible fuel of the future will be... compressed air!

It sounds fantastic, isn’t it? Is it possible for a machine to be powered by air? Yes, it is. Of course not just simple air that you are breathing now - it must be compressed to be useful. Compressed air under high pressure pushes engines pistons, and when used, returns to atmosphere absolutely clean. The tank is enough for 200 kilometers, and the max speed is amazing - 110 kilometers per hour!

This car is not only ecological pure, it can save you a lot of money on fuel! One full refueling costs about 1.5 Euros, which is roughly equals to 2 liters of usual gas! If an average car needs 8-10 liters of gas on 100 km, taking price on gas as 1 euro per liter, it means 16-20 Euros for 200 km, 10 times more expensive than this air machine! Refueling will be simple - few minutes with an air compressor attached, and you are ready to go another 200 km.

Its inventor, former Formula 1 engineer, worked for a decade and a half on this marvelous project. It is a product of hard work, and he hopes that his project will not be unnoticed. Several Indian companies are already interested in this concept, and first public available cars will appear later this year. The cost is very affordable - 3500 Euros for the cheapest model. Manufacturers are planning to release this amazing environment-saving car in Europe and India. Hope this is not the last step for environment saving technologies, and we will see more
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» Comments

» posted by: colin / Jan 18, 2009 03:16 PM: Curious: I'm fairly sure that an individual separate air compressor for private use would be inapropriate - the sort of compressor that could fill the car up would be a little bit too expensive for the average home owner. An onboard compressor is completely inplausable - since you'd need to take an energy source with you.
Michael Clarke: Providing electrics would be easy - simply connect a generator to the engine/wheels like they do in conventional cars.
Sibs: A motorbike might be able to be made in a similar fashion, but remember that the compressed air needs to be stored in a tank which is probably relatively large compared to petrol tanks. It depends on how well the air is compressed.

» posted by: colin / Jan 18, 2009 03:06 PM: So what powers the air compressor? Having a car run on compressed air is all very well, but at the end of the day you need a source of energy (be it fossil fuels, solar panels or nuclear fisson). Remember that if these cars were to be used at all, the would have to be the necessary infastructure to support them - "gas" stations with large air compressors would take a lot of power to run, and the sort of compressor that could fill the car up would be a little bit too expensive for the average home owner.

» posted by: curious / Dec 22, 2008 06:03 PM: So...Besides the electricity supply problem for AC and heater...Can't they just propose with the car an individual separate air compressor for private use?Because i hardly see myself waiting many (how much exactly?) minutes to fill up the tank...Hoping that the compressor doesn't use Gazoline :P

» posted by: Michael Clarke / May 22, 2008 07:54 AM: This is an excellent idea, but like with electric cars,
how do you operate a heating system? I live in a cool country with lots of electricity.

» posted by: Dev / May 17, 2008 08:11 AM: Looks a lot like the car Tata motors is trying to put into production.

» posted by: dsbgfaha / Apr 01, 2008 07:03 AM: April Fools

» posted by: Babalabashamalama Ding Do / Apr 01, 2008 09:11 AM: this idea is really really really really really really really really really really really really nice

» posted by: adam / Mar 18, 2008 02:56 PM: sf, there was a car designed on vehicles of the future on discovery that had an on board compressor! granted it was loud, i would sacrifice my tranquility for not having to pay for gas

» posted by: DrPhunky / Mar 02, 2008 12:50 PM: Very cool! I wonder if it can be scaled up?

» posted by: Derek / Mar 02, 2008 10:44 AM: This looks really cool and i hope it sells good...I agree with kel...sell it in the US too

» posted by: sf / Mar 01, 2008 10:08 AM: couldn't they just make an on board compressor and have it never run out? albeit it's kindy noisy but that's what the radios for.