106 mpg Air Car to come to U.S. by 2010

The Air Car runs on compressed air.

(Credit: Zero Pollution Motors)

A company named Zero Pollution Motors says it plans to bring a car powered by air to the U.S. sometime in 2009 or 2010. The six pistons in the Air Car's engine are pushed by compressed air rather than gasoline combustion, an idea developed by F1 race car engineer Guy Negre. The car carries a compressor, making it possible to fill its compressed air tank by plugging it into an electrical outlet. At low speeds, the engine is cranked solely by air from the tank. At high speeds, it uses gasoline to heat a chamber, giving the air pushing the pistons more pressure. In high speed mode, it also compresses air to inject into the cylinders. According to its initial, estimated, specifications the Air Car will go 848 miles on an 8 gallon tank of gas. The size of the compressed air tank isn't included in the specifications. Further, the car has a top speed of 96 mph, with its power plant putting out 75 horsepower. When traveling at low speeds, the car has zero emissions, while in high speed mode it has some emissions because of its use of gasoline.

The Air Car seats six in a fiberglass and foam body.

(Credit: Zero Pollution Motors)

The Air Car was developed by The MDI Group, which received funding from Indian car maker Tata Motors to build the car for the Indian market. Zero Pollution Motors intends to market the Air Car in the U.S. The body of the car is made from fiberglass and foam, and is built as a six seater. Instead of the usual speed and RPM gauges in the dashboard, the Air Car will use an in-dash computer with displays for speed and engine revolutions. This dashboard computer will also be used for navigation, media playback, and communication. The Air Car sounds promising, and we will be eager to see if it really lives up to its specifications.

(Source: AutoblogGreen)

[alegr]

With compressed air, you can store about 27 W*hour per kilogram (which is 130 horsepower*second). If you can sustain 1000 atmospheres, you can store 1 kg of compressed air per liter. This shows that the proposed scheme is not quite practical. Of course, one can BS the investors into anything.

[HIX777]

I'm sure the investors wouldn't invest in it without first doing their research on it, which you obviously haven't done, Einstein.

[joad2]

What a bogus comment by a lobbyist

[macattack91]

thats the dumbest thing i have eve herd. you use so many numbers that you have become a mentaly handicaped person

[timhodgson]

What they also are not telling us is that one must "plug" the car into an electrical outlet that gets its electricity from a coal fired power plant. We are still dependent on dirty power.

[HIX777]

True, Tim, but it requires a lot less dirty power. Didn't you read the mileage stats? It's a step in the right direction. It's more realistic to wean off dirty power than to stop it cold turkey. Besides, as somebody else mentioned, there are wind, solar...and garbage power plants, believe it or not.

[adea3]

timhodgson...a person can plug it in at HOME with a pv system (solar cells)...ZERO emissions :)

[ArtInvent]

These performance numbers sound like fantasy world. No one to my knowledge has ever driven a car with this 'gasoline heated air' scheme. Is there a prototype that gets anything like in the real world? There have been a number of compressed air cars and they have a range of well under 75 miles. Don't. Buy. It.

[HIX777]

Ok, because YOU have not been made aware of it in the PAST, then it's not possible. Wake up, buddy...you have just been made aware in the PRESENT! Look into things further before you bad mouth them. Where else does this show up in your life? You naysayers are the reason we're in the energy mess we're in. Congratulations...you got to be right in the past about being ignorant. How does it feel?

[chrisfrary]

While your at it can you post a blog about my super car that produces 500bhp and gets 121mpg. I have some specs that say it will work, just wait for my marketing team. And for proof of concept, it's in my head. Who needs an actual products anymore?

[joad2]

Any other nay saying agendas in your brittle cranium?

[joegoesgreen]

What a bunch of naysayers! If you Google air car you will find a ton of stuff on it. The glass is truly half full. Negative attitudes are not going to do much in helping us become energy independent.

[Tayven]

For all you non believers here is one of their old prototypes in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4

Sure the design looks stupid but it surely works!
I'd love to have a car that didnt run on petrol!

[nv1]

For those who don't know Tata Motors is a large Indian automobile manufacturer.

Against everything everyone said - they announced that they will market a car for $2.5K (100,000 Rs) and kept the promise.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=2d28012e-0cc1-4ac2-ad09-2b74a27953ac&ParentID=0981844b-a322-47c9-83e9-58a95693d8ca&MatchID1=4648&TeamID1=1&TeamID2=8&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1170&PrimaryID=4648&Headline=Tata+creates+new+car+niche

They are also bidding to buy Jaguar and Rover from Ford.

[JeffB1969]

Why not plug it into solar or wind? No dirty power with those... (unless you consider manufacturing, delivery, installation, etc...).

[mfagerbu]

Actually- the car is made in France- which means the power is most likely coming from a nuclear plant- not a coal plant. Nuclear has issues, but for the forseeable future, is cleaner than coal.

[lievenv]

Here's a car that runs solely on air and is already being sold in Europe:
http://www.theaircar.com/acf/

here it is in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4

[joad2]

Go to the website....go on Youtube....go on Google....do some REAL research on this car before adding negative comments about it.....who needs hydrogen or ethanol or ANY other vehicle that spews dirty emissions back into the atmosphere...these cars DO work and are the obvious choice to continue development on....the only emissions that come from these vehicles is air that is actually CLEANER coming out of the car than going in, due to the air filters in the vehicle....sure it still uses electricity to charge but so do electric cars....what's the problem...eventually we'll be using solar to power them anyway.....why is it so hard to believe in this technology but so easy to believe in a HYDROGEN fueled car....do some research on that crazy idea....let's all drive a car that could potentially blow up like a small bomb.....AND creates more water as emissions....that's a grreat idea...let's introduce new, EXTRA water into the water cycle...see where that gets us....Kevin Costner could make his sequal to Waterworld for sure.....(digression)...or a car that runs on corn....like the land we grow our FOOD on isn't stressed enough to begin with that we have to stress it more to feed CARS??? Wow....
Anway...common sense dictates the simplest solution.....we want clean air? Millions and millions of people want to drive all over the land? What do you think the solution should be?

[ledhead1962]

While I can appreciate people being sceptic, I have to say if you have admitted the validity of global warming then all the in-fighting and negativity from different factions of up and coming technologies is extremely exasperating. We live at a time in human history where future generations will owe their quality of life to the paths we explore today. How can we afford to turn our noses up at any promising ideas to be posited? Do we give into the inevitability of our self-constructed demise or do we approach the moment as the opportunity to be part of the next social revolution? A time for naysayers or a time for visionaries. Lets try to keep it together and not represent the institutions that have placed us in jeopardy and are desperately trying to hold onto power by casting doubt on anything that threatens their status quo. PLEASE KEEP AN OPEN MIND.

[joad2]

Nicely said.....let's not forget that people are sometimes "placing" comments on sites like this one to do exactly what you mentioned....to cast doubt about the validity of one technology over the other...it's our job as responsible citizens to keep an open mind about ALL possible options for our future on this planet and seek out as much information as we can about the best, smartest and CLEANEST technology out there...it all boils down to common sense...and what we are willing to do in order to live as sensibly as we can with what we have left to work with on earth....a big picture some people don't seem to get.

[joad2]

Nicely said ledhead1962.....let's not forget that people are sometimes "placing" comments on sites like this one to do exactly what you mentioned....to cast doubt about the validity of one technology over the other...it's our job as responsible citizens to keep an open mind about ALL possible options for our future on this planet and seek out as much information as we can about the best, smartest and CLEANEST technology out there...it all boils down to common sense...and what we are willing to do in order to live as sensibly as we can with what we have left to work with on earth....a big picture some people don't seem to get

[catcolution]

I want this car so bad... I can't imaging what driving a real car that doesn't use gas, but i want to find out asap.

I contacted http://mdi.lu and registered at http://www.catvolution.com, anyone know other places to get in line for these? tks

[2naman]

I think that many people are missing a larger point ? none of these alternatives is ready for prime time, and while we should be aggressively pursuing ALL alternatives to fossil fuel, the world?s economy still runs on oil. While we pursue these alternatives, we must at the same time sustain our own economy (and free ourselves from Middle Eastern oil thugs) by drilling and refining more of our own petroleum and coal (combined with more nuclear energy). The common theme seems to be that sometime very soon, we will all magically wake up to cars and homes powered by clean energy, when the reality is it will take many years to make the transition. While I support them all, the stark reality suggests a multi-pronged approach: Use our vast resources of oil and coal (including ANWR and coastal reserves) to stop financing terrorism by buying Middle Eastern oil, build more nuclear energy plants AND invest heavily in alternatives to fossil fuel so we?re not having this same conversation 25 years from now.

[jon_dutch]

From what I have seen about this technology over the past few years I have been rather impressed. I was initially really disappointed that the car was only available in France, but now it looks like that might not me a problem for much longer thanks to Tata. Granted the MDI version of the steering wheel and gauges was a but "wacky" for my taste, but the technology is pretty dope. Everyone keeps harping on all of these technologies that have to plug in for power because of coal plants, what's the deal with you people? I hardly see that as a relevant point with regards to emerging vehicle technologies. Yes, it may be true in fact, but not by any fault of the vehicle. Shouldn't the coal fired power stations be concentrating on greener methods instead? All of these technologies (Air Cars, Electric Cars, Plug-in Hybrids, etc...) are great if you produce your own green power via solar, hydro or wind methods.

[tshoedog]

I find this air engine to be a great idea. It may seem a little wacky but this could evolve into something great. Cmon people give it a chance.

[unknown_unknow]

I am waiting this technology for years. Hope now we can have great products with this nice idea.

[vjfronk]

ive been watching this on youtube for the past 2 years.keep in minde this teachnoligy in the hands of a componie like GM with all there enginears would have ironed out all the bugs allreddy but gye negre is only one man with alot less resorces so it took a while to get it were it is today,thanks to tata motors of india this air car is going to become a reality in america in 2010. the rezistance will come from the oil componies and compeating car componies based here in america. our enemey is us,the filthy rich gready fatcats that will not let america move forward becaus they benafit from parasiteing off america. so be aware and sit back and watch the fireworks for the next fiew years .youl see the kings not wareing any clothes and we could have been driveing air cars years ago.

[adea3]

This is from Hoax-Slayer: Summary:
Email claims that a car being developed in India runs on compressed air and can travel up to 125 miles for only 2 dollars (Full commentary below).

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