World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer

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• alternative energy
• tech watch
• auto technology
• fuel economy
• India

India’s largest automaker is set to start producing the world’s first commercial air-powered vehicle. The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre for Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air, as opposed to the gas-and-oxygen explosions of internal-combustion models, to push its engine’s pistons. Some 6000 zero-emissions Air Cars are scheduled to hit Indian streets in August of 2008.

Barring any last-minute design changes on the way to production, the Air Car should be surprisingly practical. The $12,700 CityCAT, one of a handful of planned Air Car models, can hit 68 mph and has a range of 125 miles. It will take only a few minutes for the CityCAT to refuel at gas stations equipped with custom air compressor units; MDI says it should cost around $2 to fill the car’s carbon-fiber tanks with 340 liters of air at 4350 psi. Drivers also will be able to plug into the electrical grid and use the car’s built-in compressor to refill the tanks in about 4 hours.

Of course, the Air Car will likely never hit American shores, especially considering its all-glue construction. But that doesn’t mean the major automakers can write it off as a bizarre Indian experiment — MDI has signed deals to bring its design to 12 more countries, including Germany, Israel and South Africa.

679. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
#677,678; "fixed circular motion" what is a fixed circular motion???? how can something be in motion if it is fixed? Congratulations, you've invented one half of an electric motor. "Curpt"?????could you possible mean corrupt?..the same CORRUPT oil companies which supply fuel to the electric power plants which produce energy to run the compressors that charge the wonderful air car?....GET A CLUE..if thats possible.

678. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
its about time that we try to get rid of the curpt oil companys and stop the polution.

677. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
there is a way to make an Prepetual Electo-Magnetic Generator, and i know how to do it, just the Govt, dont wanna listen. and most of you wouldn't either, so why bother with trying to get a group of morons to listen i mean hell most people think it is Impossible but it aint.. just use magnets in a fixed circular motion.. DUH!!!!

676. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Great!!!.. The way world has looked at India has changed. CONGRATULATIONS... ps. If you need any investors, let us know. We are behind you all the way.

675. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
most of us are living within the grip of 'GWS' gulf war synapse, we dont want to believe that so many soldiers fought and died in not just this gulf war, but in every war since the advent of petroleum, we need to look at the expense of operating a gasoline/petrol vehicle, if you take into account all the expenses, even a hydrogen vehicle, a hybrid, are not worth the investment, but... other than walk or ride a pedal pushbike, live in a cave, and eat nothing but nuts, berries, and grass, we do have alternatives, like the air car, which I personally am looking foreward to owning, and watching the dollars stay in my pocket, and not just float away on a cloud of CO2.

674. #673 Compression wastes energy due to heat generated
#673 What would be the benefit of using air compression and a tank versus alternator and a battery? The compression and decompression of the air has quite a bit of energy waste, due to the heat generated during compression (pressure drops as it cools in a tank) and the temperature drop during expansion(you never realize the full potential of the compressed air). You will be much better of with the system as it is used in a hybrid.

673. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I have read too many paranoid crazies talking about how hybrids like a Prius are fakes and that the hybrid technology is a ripoff. Well - I have owned a Prius for 2 1/2 years now and average 48.5 mpg in city driving - with battery technology which can only power the car 1/3 to 1/2 of a mile by itself! It seems to me that compressed air could play the same role as batteries/alternators do in a Prius - "banking the energy" when you brake in compressed air! Certainly there are design issues to be overcome such as how regenerative braking is accomplished with a minimum of "heavy equipment" onboard for compression. But - that seems to me to be a "do-able" task. In fact, you could doubtlessly accomplish the 1/2 mile "buffer" with a lot less pressure than 4000 psi!

672. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Well, it's August 2008 when the car is supposed to be going on sale in India. The latest word from Tata Motors is "we don't have any definitive schedule". So far, air cars are more investment pyramid scheme than reality.

671. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
In reply to #668: Criticism of an idea should not be dismissed because you suspect ulterior motives. Instead perhaps you should TRY to understand the details which are disputed. As #667 stated, there is NOTHING new about air motors and air cars, and as I have stated these are EXTREMELY well understood and mature engineering technologies. As for ruptured tanks, I am assuming for weight optimization reasons the air car would have to use a composite tank. Composites behave in very different ways than conventional materials (metals). Any vehicle based pressure vessel is subject to operating conditions very different than those used in stationary applications.Impact is obviously the biggest potential failure mode and a ruptured compressed air tank at 4350 psi would in essence become a bomb. The amount of stored energy in a vessel at that pressure and at a volume of 340 liters (aprox 78 gallons) is incredible. I know this because I work in an industry which must pressure test very large pieces of equipment and we avoid ANY volume of compressed air because of its Pe (potential energy) when compressed.The difference in energy contained in a 45 ci tank@4500psi and 340 liters @4350 psi is also ENORMOUS.Just for comparison, 45 cubic inches = 0.737 liters. So, the volume difference is greater than 340 times, and Pe is strongly dependent on volume. You might give this subject some thought before you call other people fools!

670. Repeating claims over and over does not make a fact
All of the articles about the air car or Guy Negre are almost carbon copies of each other. The claims are repeated by some as though they are fact. If you tell a story to enough people it seems to be true eventually because everyone seems to know the same "facts" which are not really facts just claims that have begun to acquire a life of their own due to repeating. Now if even one of the sites said,"I drove the air car over 110 miles and it was a pleasure it was all they claimed it was", well that would be different. The fact is nobody can claim to have driven the car that distance, not even the inventors, in their test it went 4 or 5 miles. The point is; repeating the same claim over and over does not make it a fact, it is just that simple, like a lot of the minds out there. I have no other cause except to demonstrate the shortcomings of this concept, and also it is interesting to see how the left hand side of the bell thinks.

669. #668 do you realize the source of what you read?
#668 Typing in "Guy Negre" merely brings up many of the articles that do nothing but repeat the companies claims. Tell me in any of those articles did anyone say that the air car traveled 120 miles? I already know the answer, it is NO. If you judge the viability of a concept by the information in press releases, you have much to learn. If you go to the site that has investment information relative to the air car, you will see that they say that all of the information contained in their website and press releases are "forward looking statements" and in no way are they guaranteeing that the figures will be obtainable or that this concept is going to be a commercial success. If they had a vehicle that did what they claim they would have no problem standing behind their claims. By investing in their concept they are essentially saying, what we claim might be true some day in the future, but do not hold us to anything we claimed, your money or this contract guarantees you nothing. In addition you cannot hold them to any statement they make or recover any of your money should this concept never materialize. And by the way, nobody drives paintball guns down the street where they can get into accidents with vehicles many times their size, nobody claims the tanks will spontaneously explode, just that in an accident they might.

668. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
To the fools who choose to see what the future holds and discard it and then defend their explanations with farce, first do your do diligence. The inventor is real the product works and the world is changing. In google type Guy Nègre and see what you thought couldn't be done. There is no acceptable reason to dismiss this unless you serve another cause and your fear has become your motivation. And to the fools who pretend to know something of the engineering and the danger associated with compressing air consider this a paint ball gun air tank is 45ci at 4500psi I have never encountered a tank that ruptured on it's own.

667. Poster #666, this idea is not new, just your knowledge of it is
People have been trying to make an air car for the last 100 years, so it is not about giving this NEW idea a chance. Air is not suitable to be used to power a car over the distances claimed. You mention design challenges, we know why there are challenges, it is because of scientific facts. What I find reprehensible is they claimed production is coming soon many times in the past, yet have never produced a prototype that does what they promised. If the air car held promise the BIG THREE would be developing their own. The fact that this idea has been around for so long means many of the patents on air technology are now in the public domain. Do not try to tell me that MDI holds all of the relevant patents either, because whatever patents they have are obviously lacking in that their cars do not perform as they claim. Big Three is not developing an air car because the air car is not going to be able to perform in such a way to replace current internal combustion engines. The size of a tank necessary to give the vehicle a decent range would be huge. I do not understand the statement that alternatives are not being made public, this air car idea is well known, it is not being developed because it is not the answer. In fact this air car has received much more exposure than it deserves, this is because most people are unfamiliar with energy in its different forms and applications. The claims they make are so spectacular that they make good "press" and bring viewers to a website, magazine or news report. If they told the truth and said they have a car that traveled 4 or 5 miles, do you think you would have heard of it? They do have good Public Relations people though, I have to give them credit for that, they know how to manipulate the media.

666. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
This is directed towards all of you who are laughing at the idea of an air powered automobile: Be careful not to dismiss something just because it has a few inital design challenges. I am crazing about this car as a concept and a reality. If we tossed out every new idea before we had given it a chance, we'd still be in caves! As a Detroitier, I can tell you that the biggest obstacle to Americans using air powered cars maybe the Big Three. This is because such a car would not be very profitable when it come to selling spare parts. We all should be concerned about the fact that so few alternatives to gasoline cars are being made public.

665. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
#664, Don't try interject reason or rational thought into this thread, I've tried to on a number of occasions and its much like dealing with children , or Obama supporters, the cult of nonsense is alive and well with respect to the air car. As for #662 & 663, when you make statements such as " a magazine in the 70's" and "top execs..one of the news shows.."the other day"..." what top exec? what news show, what day???? Credibility evaporates instantly when such unsupported statements are made. This is the problem with this whole subject, lots of lofty hyperbole parroted by people with technically and scientifically limited, or non-existent abilities.Facts be dammed, if it "feels" or "seems" good then is must work! And it IS silly, stupid, pointless and a third world solution for a first world nation!!!!

664. #662 What is an electric pump?
I am very curious about this "electric pump" you speak of, what in the world is it? Due to the energy losses in the conversion of electric energy to compressed air, it will always be better to charge a battery than to fill an air tank for the same amount of energy. There are large losses on the compression of air by a compressor. Also As the compressed air is cooled the heat that is liberated is a total waste of energy. As the compressed air cools the pressure drops also. I stop here so as not to bore you with facts, or wake you from your dream.

663. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
A Magazine in the 1970's rigged the braking system of a Ford sedan (i think granada) to compress air when the brakes were engaged, and then release the pressure back thru the air pump to help turn the wheels when the brake was released. They got over 30 MPG in city driving---30 years later its news that we can harness the energy lost in braking-by charging a $2000 battery pack--we are being swindled...

662. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
it's all well and good that everyone wants to bash the "new" car idea,but something has to be done. if the car can be built to meet required safety and crash test standards set for all cars ,who cares what the tanks look like or are made of .they would still have the same requirements of safety as your gas tank.so if it does appear in the states then it's gonna be at least as safe as a kia,but probably safer than a pacer.one of the top execs was on one of the news shows the other day saying how we can service millions of electric cars "if" they recharge during off peak hours.anywhere from 5to twelve hours on various estimates. so for the pollution factor how much coal does one have to burn to create the electricity versus how much coal do you have to burn to fill the small tank,as well as the electricity to run the compressor.i would think that utilizing 5 hours of straight electricity versus the small amount of time to run a compressor is a significant difference.then you have infrastructure changes. is it easier to make air compressors and put them in place of maybe 3/4 of the pumps at a gas station. or is it easier to create unique and surely more expensive "electric pumps". but most importantly is that the technology that mdi has come up with is phenomonal.it's the core of the technology that we can improve on.we can make better tanks.we can make stronger cars,probably even improve on the efficiency of the air drive.but if we all sit around and say how silly the "new" car is.we go belly up and the world goes down the tubes.truly the world runs on gas but the world is running out of gas.with 40% more growth in the population in 40 years we will deplete that precious oil and as the analyst have pointed out we've hit the pick and on the back side of thirty.heading down hill.immediate though small solutions are mandatory now.for the longer we wait and burn up that oil we love so much,there may come a time when it's just simply not enough to go around.and if that happens we lose everything. with oil being the base of just about everything you see today. from the plastic milk jug to the izod sweater,to the tv your watching and computer i'm typing on.all patrolium based.oil isn't just for cars it's your bane and your existence.so as for the air car,i think it's far from a a to b klinker.it's a chance to creat breathing room for the next innovation.

661. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
This same technology could be used as a solar PV system night time or power failure backup power generator. Use the day time PV electric power to fill an air tank like a propane tank and then use it to generate electric power during the night or when the grid fails. Its just like the car technology except the air motor drives an electric genertaor

660. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Reply to 655-659: A question, are you all high?.First for #655,do yourself a favor, take two classes, heat transfer and thermodynamics then maybe you can make sense of your rambling babble, I certainly can't! As for #650/657 Tiny windmills????how about tiny brains!!!do you have even a remote idea of (A) the annount of power required to compress air roughly 295 atmospheres? from 14.7 to 4350 psi, and (B) the ammount of induced drag and its effect on required power. And of course the evil oil companies and their strangle-hold on all forms of manufacturing, information etc...is this what you all talk about at the flat earth/no moon landing meetings?????REASONABLE SOLUTIONS, not hair-brained, half-a**ed contraptions suitable for third world countries are what we need. I hope and pray that the general population learns to THINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

659. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Enough with the politicians already, the only way to deal with washington is to vote out any politicians who are ignoring the wishes of the American People this includes both parties and especially the speaker of the house.

658. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Gasoline engines have been obsolete for over 30 years. The reason we still have them is'nt because they work so well, it is because the oil companies had the money and the muscle to buy, steal, cover up or destroy anything that provided an alternative. By using these tactics, decade after decade, they have taken control of the economic systems of the world. The only way to break their hold is to cut them out of the picture. Unfortunately, our government will do anything they can to stop us from doing that because most politicians are deep in the pockets of the oil conglomerates. I hope and pray that air cars can be developed to be commercially viable in a very short time. The battle for getting them able to work is the easy part. Fighting the oil controlled government to allow us to use them is the tougher battle. I have read a lot of comments on this page that show the very type of stupidity that allows oil companies to control us and plunder our economy. The oil companies are nothing more than a legalized form of crime syndicate that will do, and have done, anything and everything necessary to maintain their power position. If you can't see that, then you deserve what you get.

657. 100 Tiny windmills
#650 has a great idea, if you visit his website at www.taxiblabbermouth.com. He came up with idea and he is "not even paid to think." He has solved the problem of refilling the air tanks on the cars; all you need to do is place 100 tiny windmills throughout the vehicle to compress air. You then collect the air that they compress and collect it in a large air tank. All you need is the help of nanotechnology and everything will work out. This is what America needs is more free thinkers such as this gentleman, he came up with this idea and he is not even paid to do so. Ideas such as this is our only hope if this air car is ever going to be a viable means of transportation, nothing is going to waste in his system, all of that excess energy in the wind is collected by the windmills. I bet with this new idea we will see the air cars on the street very soon, it seems that the inventors need some help, because they have been promising this car for over 10 years, maybe this idea will solve the problem of limited range that the air car has. Keep thinking we need more good ideas such as this. I'll bet the oil companies are shaking is their shoes.

656. Get this in America!
I don't know about the rest of you, but I am sick of America having to pay five dollars a gallon. I have a hummer, and I completely empty my pockets just for one fillup! I'm going crazy! If we don't get this in the U.S., I'll have to get one of those water powered hummers the government is using! Although I'm not afraid of crashing in an air car!

655. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
They were talking about methane technology today on Larry King. Gas engines give off heat that can be saved for heating houses and water. There might come a time when you charge your car with a methane engine and save the heat to heat your house in a special water tank. You won't have to let the heat excape. You could do that with a furnace too. Generate electricity, save the heat in a water tank. All the heat energy could be saved. Maybe these carbon fiber tanks could store enough energy to work like a high power battery that could save convertible to electric energy. This is a good thing about pneumatic. You can store energy.

654. #649 There is not an Air Car in India, regardless of what you say
To entirely appreciate the comments of #649 check out his website. The website is www.taxiblabbermouth.com, it is a real eye opener, I had no idea there were such interesting people in the world. You can view the site and get an idea of the great mind behind the writings. Great pictures too. I am sure he will be famous for something someday.

653. America needs to pay attention!
It's very obvious of the predicament America is in and if we want to do something productive for the environment and our wallets, we need to get the air car in stock in the U.S. Although, personally, I'll get the American version, since I don't completely trust a glued-together car.

652. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Most people in US don't need 300 hp engine nor they drive 300 miles per day. Most of us drivee 30 or so miles per day. Think about it oil addicts. We don't need to send 700-800 billion per year to Saudies and the rest. We can revamp our economy and drive the air car!

651. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Where do you environmentalist morons think the power comes from to fuel your electric cars and alternative energy dreams? ELECTRICITY... Your people condemn coal, nuclear, oil and hydroelectric power generation. You put your faith in wind, wave and solar. Guess what? We are not up to speed with this technology yet. It is not productive enough to power our demands. Look ahead and consider what will happen if we hang all our transportation energy demands on the power grid that you condemn. More power problems. A national electricity shortage will be the next crisis. It is not very far off. Someday soon we may have access to electricity on a schedule or partial days. From the streets to your home via environmental madness. More power shortages that affect everyone's standard of life, comfort and health. Wake up. We need to develop the resources we have today. This air car is a joke that only fool can believe in. It solves nothing.

650. Everything should be spelled right this time.
Website: www.taxibabblermouth.com
Why are all the politicians pushing electric cars down your throat and not talking about India’s new production of AIR CARS?   I will tell you why… America is an instant satisfaction country and the politicians know this. If they can convince Americans to spend their tax dollars on electric car research versus air car research, they know the majority of Americans will not buy an electric car and simply keep their old gas guzzler. You have to manually charge these electric cars for several hours or minutes each day.  On the other hand with an air car it takes the same amount of time to fill up at an air station as it does to currently fill your current car with gas or diesel at a gas station. The American politicians know only a small percentage of Americans will do the switch over. The rest will settle for the high gas and diesels prices. And I’m one of them I will not settle for an electric extension cord car when I can drive my Chevy Silverado. I would switch to driving a Chevy Silverado air powered pick up truck in a heart beat. My time is so limitless; I simply do not have an hour or two to charge an electric car at Wal-Mart when I’m crossing the country. These politicians want to make you believe you are settling for the right thing when it comes to electric cars. But in reality they are still only protecting their oil interests and the oil people who line their golden wallet with nasty oil money. The truth is starring every American right dang in the face!  India has an air car. The United States politicians want to keep it a secret from the American public. Why?  The answer is: they are running a communistic Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe political systems where a state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism - 68k )   Totalitarian government and you the American citizen are the victim of this brutal governmental scam artist who probably shares each other’s wife in their annual Jacuzzi parties, or share documents in the Idaho senators toilet stall at the airport or else may be some other oil bash that’s put on once a year by the oil companies who keep these American politicians nicely folded in their pocket. These politicians are evil the truth is emerging in the actual existence of India’s (City Cat Air Car) and we the people are paying $5.00 a gallon for gas while these unethical fag politicians spend our money and tell us what to do with our money and the faggatized communistic future for all our American children home grown and even the ones imported from other countries are subjected to this dangerous spiraling downhill fag society set up by the U.S politicians for the last 30 years. If we continue with the regime that is  currently in the white house and U.S. Government with out throwing all of them out and electing decent people to represent us; not only will the future of our children’s basic values of God be destroyed but the future of America will go down hill with this government kissing the oil companies asses every 5 minutes and protecting them as if the oil companies themselves were God. Wake up America this is reality. 1). NO AIR CAR IN AMERICA! 2.) MIND POLLUTED POLITICIANS RUNNING A COMMUNISTIC COUNTRY. 3). NO MORAL VALUES LEFT IN OUR GOVERNMENT, THEY ARE ALL CROOKS THIEVES AND LIARS AT YOUR EXPENSE AND LIFE AND THE LIFE OF YOUR CHILDREN GOING TO WAR FOR THESE HEATHENS (SATAN'S ANGELS THE EVIL ONE). 4).  LAST BUT NOT LEAST YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT UP THE YE YANG AT $5.00 PER GALLON AND RISING. That’s all for now, Have a nice day, And do something about this! America, can get angry and demand:  AIR TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH IMMEDIATELY. NO MORE EXCUSES OR HOGWASH FROM THE SAME OLE SAME OLE FLOATING GARBAGE AT THE END OF THE POLITICAL DEBATE. P.S. I'm fed up with this Totalitarian government how about you? Send your reply to: Gabe@gabrieldelavega.com and I will post all your responses as time allows and I see fit since this is my website. ------------------------------------------ Responses will go here as follows: Response #1:... Source: www.taxibabblermouth.com JULY 17, 2008 Written by: Gabriel De La Vega Jr.

649. Zero Emissions???
First, this vehicle runs on COMPRESSED air. It does not magically run on normal air. So, zero emissions may be true for the car itself, but something has to drive the compressor that feeds its air tanks. Even if the supplying compressor is powered by an electric motor, the plant supplying the electricity will be emitting pollution. Even if we can use solar and wind power, what do you do when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing? Electric plant will put out some sort of pollution. Also, that compressed air is at a very high pressure!!! GEEZ 4350 PSI. Imagine a 1 inch by 1 inch section of tank having 4,350 pounds of force on it. Now imagine your normal driving with slight bumps in the road causing a stress crack in that tank that sends a shard of carbon fiber material with 4350 pounds of force behind it... Thats nuts! It would be great to be able to travel 125 miles on $2 worth of air, but I just don't see that happening. Have you been to a gas station lately? they charge $0.50 - $0.75 for 32psi of air to fill up your tires. Do you really think they would charge $2 for 340 liters at 4350psi? I hate the posters that say "stupid Americans" and think that the only thing preventing something like this is "the evil oil companies". Maybe if they took the time to understand the science behind it then they would know better. For those that think that pittance of air use for semi truck air brakes will be able to some how capture air used for engine braking to power a semi, thats not how physics works. Energy is constantly expended on friction and energy is consumed by inefficiencies of conversion. For what semi drives are paying for diesel they would be driving air trucks if such a thing were possible. ...and lets not forget jet planes. Do you think they could run on compressed air too? If we manage to replace todays cars with zero emissions vehicles, it will likely be electric vehicles for practical reasons. But even then, semi trucks, locomotives, and jets will still likely require fossil fuels for many years to follow.

648. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Re:646,644,541.Yeah,the air car is cleaner than gasoline powered cars,but so are bicycles and walking!And yes this ridiculous contraption probably works,to a degree,but why go backwards in range,safety,practicality etc.....because we are running out of fossil fuels?....talk about propaganda!!!!not in our lifetimes. As far as gasoline at 5.00/gallon to go faster?...how about just to go,with heat,air,defrosters,carrying capacity etc,etc,etc. Alternate forms of transportation which rely on other fuels certainly will in time be necessary,but silly,ridiculous machines like this are nothing but marketing gimmicks directed towards the thinking challenged. Look closely at the image of the alleged air motor for this "car",either its really bad welding or creative use of modeling putty which appears to be part of this structure,and the 2"x4" used as a rest looks as though it was taken from someone's back yard,right before it was spray painted silver.....that inspires credibility with me!!PLEASE....try to use your heads for more than hat racks.

647. #646
#646 I do not know where you are from but on the planet Earth these cars are not being produced or sold, not now or in the past. Though the inventors made claims to produce these cars at various times in the past, those were lies just like all of the other claims they made that never materialized. The air car and MDI rely on the ignorance of the public to keep this farce going, as long as they keep finding "investors" they will keep the story going. MDI has great plans for New Zealand, they promise a new type of internet service, energy generation and of course the air car, they just need investors that do not ask too many questions.

646. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
No matter you cut it, these things are cleaner than gas-powered cars. Some of you just don't want to believe it! They're already being sold in other parts of the world so all of these arguments about it not working are silly. Stop believing the propaganda from the oil industry and get on board.

645. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
That’s amazing car… but what about of the OIL? OIL now is the economic world base, so if oil is replaced may this world become danger and more extreme poor people born. OIL age is finish but just think in the consequences. What is the real price????? Hope don’t born the third world war against Arab countries

644. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
The fact that most people don't realize is that fossil fuel is not forever. It will run out and all the gas guzzling cars will be the next dinosaur. The time is now to change our thinking is this works out all the better. Is it really worth it to buy gas at 5 dollars a gallon just so you can go faster.. give it some thought..

643. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
the best car in the world

642. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
But...It does not put out over 300 hp like my Mustang GT. I dont want it.

641. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
God bless you for getting rid of OIL need. Get them over to USA as soon as you can. GOD BLESS

640. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I love the idea of the air car but, I have a lot of questions. I use to work in a dive shop so I know a little about compressed air. My first problem is with the calenders. D.O.T. regulates high pressure tanks and all tanks have to be inspected each year and hydro-tested every five years. Firefighters use these carbon fiber reinforced tanks but they can not be tested so they must be thrown away. When you think about the energy in must be greater than the energy out. I do not think they will hold that much energy.

639. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Unbridled ignorance + unfounded optimisim = air cars

638. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
How can I order one of these? And is there a 8-seater modle? {lease sent me more information on larger cars

637. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I think this is awesome! We should definitely keep researching and improving upon it.

636. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I love your ideas and can not wait for a car of my own. So long to oil and oil companies

635. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I think this is a very smat idea. People foreget that we need to stop using so much gas. If world thinks we have gas problem now just ten more years and gas prices will be even higher. Keep up the good work!!!!!

634. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Re:630,631....do you still believe in the easter bunny? your rambling diatribe is both comical and simplistic.Gasoline engines are in use for one simple reason..THEY WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your assertion that an "air engine" (actually an air motor) can create its own air is the classical definition of a perpetual motion machine.And the comparison to air brakes is completely false,the volumetric requirements for pneumatic actuators used in air braking systems is a fraction of that required for an air motor.In addition,air motors have been around for a LONG time,no earth shattering ideas here. This car offers NOTHING approaching the efficiency,range,safety and general usefulness of current hydrocarbon powered vehicles.If a company wants to try and market this overgrown golf car in the united states,then fine lets see it, I suspect that if this were such a revolutionary idea then we would have seen it long ago,despite the EVIL oil companies...get a grip!!

633. #631 No sense of proportion
To use the example of a truck compressing air to power the air brakes, so therefore it can make its own air to power itself, demonstrates that you have no sense of proportion, and are in need of a education in science. Save yourself the embarrassment and do not repeat that in public, you will lose any credibility you might have.

632. #631-630 In my country we all drive air cars
#630-631 In my country we have been driving air cars for the last 8 years. Ours look much better than the ones on that site you speak about. I was able to promise the government officials in my country a percentage of the business so that we could manufacture the cars in our country, boy the oil guys were mad. But they still had the Americans to rip off, so they will get by. Our cars had to be made to sound just like gasoline and diesel cars so that other countries would not try and adopt our technology, they even emit a little smoke just like the diesels, that was part of the deal we had to agree too. Our "gasoline" stations actually fill the cars up with air, but they look just like a regular gasoline station, they even smell the same. They really made us jump through hoops before we could start making the cars. I can not tell you the name of our country but we are socking away the cash since our energy is almost free. We even used almost the same method that you talk about with the trucks making all that free energy, except we use kids on their bicycles, when we saw that they could use those generators to power lights on their bikes, I said "why can't they power my entire house". So now when the children ride their bikes they are recharging batteries that are collected and then put in our special power magnifier(top secret) that can power our entire house, we even have enough to power the McDonald's next door.(free extra value meals for life) Man how can you live with that repressive government, time for some new men in charge over there.

631. Read this and listen to me you Stupid Americans…
Website: www.taxibabblermouth.com
You are being conned. Since 2003 the air engine has been all over the news in other countries. Semi trucks for years have had their own air compressors built into the engines of the truck to supply pressure for the air brakes on the tractor and trailer. As of 2003 the acknowledgement of compressed air pushing pistons in an engine produces the same result as gasoline or any other fuel pushing the pistons in an engine. For years now we have had the knowledge and capability of converting a semi truck to run indefinitely without stopping for fuel simply by adding a compression package to it that is now being sold and modified in India and France on other small engines like the city cat out of India. If we can get a semi truck to pump it’s own air to the compression chambers and refuel itself with air that's realistically now attainable and could probably be implemented in a factory and out on the road with in a year and a half or sooner; only if at least 1 governmental politician acknowledges this; and starts to talk about it in congress , and the news stations. You fools are paying almost $5.00 a gallon for gas when we the people could demand our government to utilize the air engine and distribute it almost overnight. Our white house is ignoring the air engine which could even generate electricity on pure air using the concept from the semi truck motor I described in the previous paragraph. These politicians keep talking about the stimulus package, more drilling, battery technology, burning our corn food supply, but fail to recognize the best solution which is the non pollutant air engine. The truth is the oil company’s has everyone in the white house on their payroll. These oil giants and their affiliates in the white house don’t care if you die tomorrow, they don’t care if the environment dies tomorrow by pulling oil out of the ground and burning it into the air we have to breath which is called smog. My fellow Americans I see this clear as day we are being scammed controlled by some very ugly people inside and out of their human political communistic, socialized bodies. Please get organized and start talking about air technology as soon as possible before our planet ceases to exist because of all the oil being burned into the Air. Just think you would never have to pay for fuel too move your car, truck, or SUV again if you would only stand up together against the politicians in the White House and demand Air Technology. You can now go to www.taxibabblermouth.com s home page and view some videos about the new car called the city cat roaming the streets of India. Source: www.taxibabblermouth.com JULY 13, 2008 Source: Popular Mechanics Source: About.com Source: BBC News Written by: Gabriel De La Vega Jr.

630. Why are all the politicians pushing electric cars down your throat and not talking about India’s new production of AIR CARS?
Website: www.taxibabblermouth.com
Why are all the politicians pushing electric cars down your throat and not talking about India’s new production of AIR CARS? I will tell you why… America is an instant satisfaction country and the politicians know this. If they can convince Americans to spend their tax dollars on electric car research versus air car research, they know the majority of Americans will not buy an electric car and simply keep their old gas guzzler. You have to manually charge these electric cars for several hours or minutes each day. On the other hand with an air car it takes the same amount of time to fill up at an air station as it does to currently fill your current car with gas or diesel at a gas station. The American politicians know only a small percentage of Americans will do the switch over. The rest will settle for the high gas and diesels prices. And I’m one of them I will not settle for an electric extension cord car when I can drive my Chevy Silverado. I would switch to driving a Chevy Silverado air powered pick up truck in a heart beat. My time is so limitless; I simply do not have an hour or two to charge an electric car at Wal-Mart when I’m crossing the country. These politicians want to make you believe you are settling for the right thing when it comes to electric cars. But in reality they are still only protecting their oil interests and the oil people who line their golden wallet with nasty oil money. The truth is starring every American right dang in the face! India has an air car. The United States politicians want to keep it a secret from the American public. Why? The answer is: they are running a communistic Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe political systems where a state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism - 68k ) Totalitarian government and you the American citizen are the victim of this brutal governmental scam artist who probably shares each other’s wife in their annual Jacuzzi parties, or share documents in the Idaho senators toilet stall at the airport or else may be some other oil bash that’s put on once a year by the oil companies who keep these American politicians nicely folded in their pocket. These politicians are evil the truth is emerging in the actual existence of India’s (City Cat Air Car) and we the people are paying $5.00 a gallon for gas while these unethical fag politicians spend our money and tells what to do with our money and the faggatized communistic future for all our American children home grown and even the ones imported from other countries are subjected to this dangerous spiraling downhill fag society set up by the U.S politicians for the last 30 years. If we continue with the regime that is currently in the white house and U.S. Government with out throwing all of them out and electing decent people to represent us; not only will the future of our children’s basic values of God be destroyed but the future of America will go down hill with this government kissing the oil companies asses every 5 minutes and protecting them as if the oil companies themselves were God. Wake up America this is reality. 1). NO AIR CAR IN AMERICA! 2.) MIND POULLUTED POLITICIANS RUNNING A COMMUNISTIC COURNTRY. 3). NO MORAL VALUES LEFT IN OUR GOVERNMENT, THEY ARE ALL CROOKS THEIVES AND LIARS AT YOUR EXPENSE AND LIFE AND THE LIFE OF YOUR CHILDERN GOING TO WAR FOR THESE HETHANS (SANTANS ANGELS THE EVIL ONE). 4). LAST BUT NOT LEAST YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT UP THE YE YANG AT $5.00 PER GALLON AND RISING. That’s all for now, Have a nice day, And do something about this! America, can get angry and demand: AIR TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH IMMEADIATILY. NO MORE EXUSESE OR HOGWASH FROM THE SAME OLE SAME OLE FLOATING GABAGE AT THE END OF THE POLITICAL DEBATE. P.S. I'm fed up with this Totalitarian government how about you? Send your reply to: Gabe@gabrieldelavega.com and I will post all your responses as time allows and I see fit since this is my website. ------------------------------------------ Responses will go here as follows: Response #1:... Source: www.taxibabblermouth.com JULY 17, 2008 Written by: Gabriel De La Vega Jr.

629. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I think I may have bought my last combustion engine

628. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I enjoyed the debate. If this car gets going the Arab Sheiks will have to get on the camels drink its milk and eat dates. That will be a good revenge on them. For that I am prepared to drive in a glued car or even if it is not glued

627. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
In response to #625, (my last post on this subject)the point I am trying to make is simple, if TATA motors wants to or can actually make this thing perform to a comparable level as current vehicles, then fine, otherwise it's an unecessary step in the wrong direction. The notion that we are running out of oil anytime soon is absurd. Therefore, ad-hoc "technologies" which seek to replace or augment said methods must be questioned critically as to their viability and FEASABILITY. In addition, I never said "lets not improve something" i am trying to point out that everyting that gets developed is done in an economic climate, if 10 years and $100 million dollars of development would increase the efficiency of this MOTOR (not an engine as in post #624) by 5%, would it be worth it? thats the kind of trade-off which must be considered. As I stated previously, the operation of air motors is WELL known, no new surprises here, and gravity and friction still work the same way!I have no doubt that people "want" things like this to work, the problem is I am a realist, I live in the real world. If a groundbreaking discovery is made in the field of prime mover design I seriously doubt It will be in the pneumatic arena.AS to post #624, I don't know if the reference to air tanks vs. gasoline tanks is serious or a joke, but knowing about the potential energy stored in a compressed air tank as described makes me much more comfortable with gasoline than mobile compressed air.And as to teaching everyone to be better drivers? good luck with that, all systems these days must be idiot proof, too bad we cant apply that to the current group of likely voters.

626. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
If we're going to find an alternative to oil to move ourselves around, let's take a leap forward. Whether electric or air powered, these vehicles are usually very small. So was the Model T! Ford had a product that would be laughable today in terms of safety. Why not think in terms of educating the American driver on how to drive, instead of crash survival? Then, maybe, just maybe some of these little Asian cars could be used on American roads. Wake up, people! Drive smarter!! Pure electric cars haven't progressed in 30 years because of limited battery technology. An air car which has an engine based on a bunch of reciprocating parts wastes energy. Modify your air wrench and hook it up to your golf cart. You just might figure out how to power a Suburban type vehicle with all the accessories with a couple of dollars' worth of hot air. But be afraid of all that explosive potential with a tank of compressed air. Feel comfy with twenty gallons of gasoline within three feet of your family....

625. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
622 Ok now let's go to an inventor, To say that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb is both a huge overstatement and a huge understatement all at the same time. A more accurate view is that he perfected a practical light bulb and that his real aim and achievement was the invention of an electrical system to produce and distribute electrical power. Now how many times did his light bulb NOT work, and do we now have a working light bulb,Yes is it perfect NO.So what you are saying is lets not improve something just leave it alone, Leonardo da Vinci drew picture's of the first fight machine 5 or 6 hundred years before the airplane came along he had vision but not the will power to see it happen, others do.Have you ever flown a kite, every kite that's perfected, NO me neither, someone's always gonna come along and make it better, sure it could use this or that and this or that could be the magic touch, just like the light bulb and do you know their still trying to make a better light bulb.I've never seen an air engine like the one above, just maybe their on to something, all I ask is give it a chance, if it don't work someone just might come along and have what it takes to get it to work. Good Day

624. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
If we're going to find an alternative to oil to move ourselves around, let's take a leap forward. Whether electric or air powered, these vehicles are usually very small. So was the Model T! Ford had a product that would be laughable today in terms of safety. Why not think in terms of educating the American driver on how to drive, instead of crash survival? Then, maybe, just maybe some of these little Asian cars could be used on American roads. Wake up, people! Drive smarter!! Pure electric cars haven't progressed in 30 years because of limited battery technology. An air car which has an engine based on a bunch of reciprocating parts wastes energy. Modify your air wrench and hook it up to your golf cart. You just might figure out how to power a Suburban type vehicle with all the accessories with a couple of dollars' worth of hot air. But be afraid of all that explosive potential with a tank of compressed air. Feel comfy with twenty gallons of gasoline within three feet of your family....

623. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I would like to know more about your air powered car. How will it generate 12V. power to recharge any batteries. And when will we see a small two seater utility version like pick/up truck. And will they come Air condationed. When will the range 1000 miles before recharging. We would have a great need for the above utilite vehicle. Please keep me up to speed on your pregress! Wishing you the very best of business, Jack Vereen (jack.vereen@libertycountyga.com) Derector of Mosquito Control for Liberty County, Georgia 31310

622. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
In reply to #621, once again, in what alternate reality do you suppose this quote would apply. As I stated before, this is not a new idea, not in ANY way,in fact do a google patent search and you will find patents which attest to this fact.This is APPLICATION ENGINEERING (applying known engineering methods to existing technologies for specific applications), not new or innovation driven engineering requiring new scientific research or the first time application of a completely new technology.Given the sparse divulgence of factual information about this design, one has to wonder how any legitimate claims can be made as to the performance of this vehicle.

621. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
#620 yeah alot people way back when said the automobile would never replace the horse and buggy,again read this Henry Ford’s answer proved to all who had the intelligence to accept the proof that true education means mind development, not merely the gathering and classifying of knowledge. Ford could not, in all probability, have named the America’s state capitals, but he could have, and in fact had gathered the capital with which to turn many wheels within every state in the union. P.S. There are people still out there who believe we have NOT landed on the moon. I'm not one of them!

620. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
In response to #618, I fail to see how this quotation relates,in any way,to this issue. When the automobile with internal combustion motive power was introduced it was genuinely a new, unknown quantity, both the engine and the vehicle itself. We are discussing the application of an EXISTING technology (air motors) and a "new" (fashionable)use for them. The fluid power technology which governs this type of design is EXTREMELY well known and proven. Until and if we can suspend the immutable physical laws which govern such devices, it's very unlikely effeciencies can be achieved which would make this a FEASIBLE alternative. All the wishing, hoping and praying in the world will not change that. If TATA motors wishes to develop this and place it on the market, GREAT!, lets see how it does commercially.As I see it this is a technical/marketing issue, not a great leap of thought, or inspirition at work, just re-packaging an idea thats been around for a long time, which was probably not a very good idea to begin with, had it have been we would have had air powered cars long ago.

619. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
How would you tow a boat? What happens when you get hit by one of those "pompous" SUV's

618. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
#603 This excerpt was taken from "http://www.tribune.com.ng/06102007/opinion.html". Henry Ford, the automobile business mogul, brought suit against the Chicago Tribune, charging that newspaper with libelous publication of statements concerning him, one of which was the statement that Ford was “an ignoramus, an ignorant pacifist,” and so on. That was during World War I. In the courtroom, the attorneys for Tribune undertook to prove that their statements were correct, that he was ignorant, and with this objective in mind, they catechized and cross-examined him on many subjects. One question thrown at Ford was: “How many soldiers did the British send to subdue the rebellion in the colonies in 1776?” However, with a dry grin on his face, Ford nonchallantly replied: “I do not know just how many, but I have heard that it was a lot more than ever went back.” This reply threw the courtroom into loud laughter from the jury, courtroom spectators, and even the depressed attorney who had asked the question. This line of cross-examination was prolonged for more than an hour, with Ford remaining perfectly calm. At the end, however, he was tired of it and in reply to a question which was particularly obnoxious and degrading, the business magnate straightened himself up, pointed his finger at the questioning attorney and retorted: “If I should really wish to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the others you have been asking, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push buttons hanging over my desk and, by placing my finger on the right button, I could call in men who could give me the correct answers to all the questions you have asked and others that you haven’t the intelligence to ask or to answer. Now, will you kindly tell me why I should bother about filling my head with a lot of useless details in order to answer every foolish question that anyone may ask, when I have able men all around me who can supply me with all the facts I want when I call for them?” There was graveyard silence in the courtroom. The questioning attorney’s jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide. The judge leaned forward from the bench and gazed in Mr. Ford’s direction. Many of the jury awoke and looked around as if they heard an explosion, which they actually had. Readers, Henry Ford’s answer proved to all who had the intelligence to accept the proof that true education means mind development, not merely the gathering and classifying of knowledge. Ford could not, in all probability, have named the America’s state capitals, but he could have, and in fact had gathered the capital with which to turn many wheels within every state in the union.

617. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I wish I could use crayons here,it sure would make the explanations easier! First point re: 615, Is your life worth $4.00/gallon? why go backwards in safety to save a few bucks for a limited form of transportation that can only be described as spartan. Re: 616, lets just go door to door and dictate to everyone what they can think, eat, read and of course drive! yeah, this is America but why let that stop the nanny-state mentality. And just for the record I am not a soccer mom and I don't drive an SUV, but I believe if someone wants to own and drive one thats THEIR business!!!, not mine or yours. As to crash-worthiness,you are COMPLETELY WRONG! A structure such as this colliding with virtually anything else, trees, bridge supports, curbs, signs etc is the issue, not the fact that other vehicles are larger and more massive. And I am an engineer and I see nothing about resurrecting decades old "technology" and calling it revolutionary that causes fear, quite the contrary, more along the lines of laughter. Once again, legitimate, FEASIBLE and practical solutions are needed, not marketing gimmicks.

616. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
For the person that claimed that this car will be unsafe, I say his claims are preposterous. It's simple, Force everyone to get rid of all their outlandish and pompous SUV's and make them drive similar vehicles and the mass hitting the mass will be the same. Anyways, clearly some engineers will be afraid of this technology especially if they work in other fields that may shut down to such new technology. I mean one company even has a car that runs on water. Let's face it, It's time to rid the world of large SUV's and oversized vehicles that no one really needs. "oh but wait you say, soccer moms need them" I say baloney, kids need to stay home, do chores, play with friends, and stop being pushed into a hectic life. They do not have to have soccer games or anything else. High gas prices may finally slow down our overly paced out of control, showy western culture. by the way, if everyone would just stay home on the weekends, unless they have to work.. we would all see gas prices drop dramatically. Four weekends of this and we would be under 2 bucks a gallon again. the problem is the corporations refer to us as sheeple, because they know how stupid we really are. We must ban together!

615. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
The easy way around the crash test issue in the USA is make it a three wheeler. This classifies it as a motorcycle and the crash standards arent required. Motorcyclist ride without airbags, seatbelts, crumple zones, safety glass, etc. If anything this would start bring the average mass of vehicles down on the road saving energy as a whole. I'm not saying we wont need trucks and heavier vehicles still. Right now I drive a chrylser sebring conv. that gets 29 mpg and when I need to haul something I have my old F-150 pickup.

614. To the poster of 597, "we" ask questions
Those that question the viability of this means of transportation are not lacking in scientific understanding. What we do is look at the large picture, and ask why does it not seem right? Nobody is going to say the air can not be used to operate and engine, sure it can. What most of question is; can it do what they claim? When someone spends the last 10-12 years making claims that the car can do this or that, and will be in production soon, we ask why has it not happened? If they were claiming to begin production of Taxis in Mexico in 2002, I ask where is the prototype of the vehicle they were going to produce? None of the vehicles shown to the public traveled very far. They have videos of these cars driving around, but no proof that they can do more than drive a few miles. We would all like to believe it could perform as claimed, but so far nothing but the promises of men looking for investors. You must have some skepticism when money is involved. Good ideas do not go begging for long. You can be sure that all major auto manufacturers and investment banks take notice of new technology, the question is: What turned them off? If a car manufacturer thought that there was any future in the air car, they would be working on their own so they are not left out of this "NEW GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY", think about it. What venture capital fund would not invest if they thought this idea showed promise? All of you who think the Govt. or the oil companies are out to stop this idea, need to realize that with the current instantaneous exchange of information, there is no hiding or stopping a good idea. To those who use past ideas that were denounced at first and then in the end worked, such as flight, automobiles, electricity and others, anyone else can find scores of ideas that were derided and denounced that never did pan out. To base an argument on something totally unrelated as you do, is quite laughable and shows a complete lack of any other poignant facts. You might as well say; "The air car will work, because I want it to, its success will make me happy", That statement carries just as much weight. If you are soliciting investment based upon performance characteristics, you need to provide proof, not just your word that it will perform as claimed. They just never do come up with the proof, that is why we question. Anybody can spout off promises of factories opening, driving range, and cost of operation, but come on now show us proof, live up to your words already.

613. We have something in common #605
# 605 I am working on a similar design not only does mine have unlimited mileage also, but mine will do your taxes by the middle of February each year-guaranteed maximum refund allowed by the then current tax code.

612. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
If this idea is allowed in the US, I want a piece of this action! Thank You TATA!

611. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Where do I begin! 604, Are you suggesting we revise our crash worthiness standards to those of the model T? we already have decades of data to support how metal structures behave in impacts.predictably, unlike composite structures which behave unpredictably...no government conspiracy or the evil oil companies, just physics and materials science are to blame. If you want to be the crash test dummy for this thing, then have at it!. As to the air motor which produces it's own air? how have you managed to defy immutable laws of nature? you know those like gravity, friction ,etc. If what you say is true then you have a system which produces more energy than it consumes???thats quite an accomplishment, you might want to contact the United Federation Of Planets, they might be interested! In gereral, Once again, legitimate, FEASIBLE soultions are what thinking, rational people are seeking, not marketing gimmicks.

610. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I'm betting this car will be so expensive, its price will cover the fuel usage for years. Who will actually buy such a thing?

609. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
the only reason why this car isn't being allowed into the U.S. is because the useless scumbags of oil company and car companies want to put as much money into their pockets as possible. they don't want to see the long term effects that oil causes to the environment. So stop complaining and do something about it.

608. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
This has got to be a total scam. They are claiming about 21,000 cubic inches at about 4500 PSI gives a range of 124 miles. Really? You get E( Kw-hr) = 3.14E-8 * P ( psi) * V (inch^3) So you get 2.96 KW -hr A gallon of gasoline has an equivalent energy of 36.6 KW-hr. So they are claiming a mileage equivalence of 1533 MPG. Sound right?

607. Poster # 606 save youself a trip
# 606 you can save yourself a trip to India by going to the website of Tata Motors. Spend some time looking around their website, you will not see any mention of the production of this car. No pictures, no "New Technology - Coming Soon", nothing under "Research and Development", nothing on the website at all. If you look under the Press Releases and go back to February 5, 2007, their is a mention of their agreement with MDI, "To envisage supporting further development and refinement of the technology and its application and licensing for India." look up the word "ENVISAGE" and check out its meaning. Not that solid of a commitment huh? MDI loves to associate themselves with other companies, especially those with a good reputation, too bad the other companies look at their association differently. Tata also says the car needs at least 2 years of further development, so too bad for all of you expecting to see air cars in India soon, it just is not happening.

606. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I'm willing to try it. When will it be available in the U.S.A.? I'm considering going to India and bringing one back myself, if I have to. It's understandable the U.S. balking at air cars and not being quick to make them available in the U.S.. Just think of the oil companies, the gas engine manufacturers and all the related businesses, i.e. exhaust systems, filters, additives, just to name a few would be seriously injured financially. Many jobs would be lost, many families devastated. But America was built on change and if the air car pans out, it could potentially be the greatest change for the good this world has seen for a very long time. Mother Earth, for your sake I hope this works.

605. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Great looking car. I live in N. Georgia USA and have been working on a simular engine but the difference is that it produces it's own air off of 2 of the engine cylinders. With my design it has unlimited mileage.

604. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
For everyone who finds a problem with the safety aspect - even if they are engineers - how safe was the Model T when it came out? This is but the first model and we should be encouraging the auto companies to make this type of vehicle practical for all users - it is important that we all begin thinking small picture and not just saying that it is too hard for me to do anything. This car is just the one of the first steps - how do you eat and elephant - one mouthful at a time.

603. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
RE: 597 (and others) First of all airplanes are not designed primarily to withstand collisions with like vehicles, automobiles are! Do you really want to be in a collision in this thing with anything of any mass???? a real car, a tree etc???? Secondly everyone here seems unable to distinguish between "naysayers" and critical comment. As an engineer I have to examine ideas and designs in this manner on a daily basis. It all must be worked out, none of this happens by "osmosis" or wishful thinking.As they say the "devil is in the details". Finally,there exist's a design basis for every design. This governs how the design is accomplished as well as the scientific and engineering principles that allow the design to be possible.This device looks as though it could replace some forms of specific transportation in very limited ways, but as an overall replacement for hydrocarbon powered vehicles...no way!It appears that focusing on real solutions to our problems instead of short-term marketing gimmicks is a better use of everyones time.

602. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
the nay sayers better start challenging their bureaucracy before they choke to death. YEA for MDI/TaTa Motors!

601. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Many years ago the then students from the college of engineering Coimbatore had a project that was to run an aircompressor direct mounted onto the shaft of a windmill. That was a good idea of storing energy without having to use expensive batteries. I am imagining...compressed air stations that run on wind mills, which would then recharge the New Tata air car. At 300 bar(g) air pressure in the tank, it is indeed dangerous. Someone will soon figure out how to keep the tank safe within the car in the event of a accident. Let it succeed.

600. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
We've developed a self generating system using power from earth's FREE electro-magenetic waves. Size of a pertable sewing machine it kicks out over 5000 watts of electricity to run every electrical motor ever developed. NO more smog! Called PEP! Watch for our announcement. SYLRTC Div3

599. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Its not on the market cos it doesnt work.Us poeple working in the industry loathe these "snake oil" ideas to get government grants.As they undermine genuine alternatives.Air tools dont work as well as required so how can a car?

598. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Bla bla, all those experts who know that it can't work. Locomotives for the mining industries have been running on compressed air for over a century BECAUSE they are so safe in an explosive environment. We have the means to produce electricity in a non-air polluting way (solar, wind, and nuclear. France gets 80% of it's electric power from nuclear, Switzerland gets 70%, but we don't have the political will to disengage ourself from purely oil-derived power)

597. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
When I read the replies many people have written against this car I ask myself "Does this person lack comprehension, lack an understanding of science, or just repeating what somebody has washed over them?" One writer: "It will never make US shores because its glued together." That writer should not being fly in modern Boeing craft as they are now glued composites. I am excited for this kind of engineering creativity and what it means for our world. What is truly alarming is the open response from people outside the US and the demonizing of this fresh thinking from US citizens.

596. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I'm sure the oil producing countries are "shaking in their boots" over this.Just curious, what is the source of air-conditioning and heating for this "vehicle"?.And what design details address the freezing of water vapor in the air ( a bit of a problem in cold climates)a condition which would render the air motor inoperable. Just curious to see if this post gets past the sensors, since it's critical of this "miracle car".

595. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
This technology is perfect for wind generators. Directly convert wind power into compressed air stored in tanks. Which is used to fill our cars!

594. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Thats a humumgous leap taken by TATA motors..2 thums up for them. Its high time we give the oil producing countries a run for their money.

593. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I love old hot rods & sports cars....but that was yesterday's mentality. It is time to embrace this new technology.

592. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
>This vehicle is light weight because it doesn't have a huge rack of lead-acid batteries. It has a carbon fiber air tank, filled with air, not a tank of explosive liquid! Now that's a really ignorant thing to say. The tank of air is MUCH heavier than lead acid batteries would be. Just because it's air doesn't mean it light. And it's very very explosive, much more explosive than gasoline. You just don't get it - you're storing energy in there. Something like 5 gallons of gas worth of energy. If it busts where do you think that energy is going to go?

591. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I see some issues with this car. 1st is safty, with 4 air tanks at full pressure, what happens when your in an accident and one of the tanks ruptures? An explosion happens! And to say it's zero emmisions is just plain wrong unless your one of the very few people that get all of their electicity from windmills.

590. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I see some issues with this car. 1st is safty, with 4 air tanks at full pressure, what happens when your in an accident and one of the tanks ruptures? An explosion happens! And to say it's zero emmisions is just plain wrong unless your one of the very few people that get all of their electicity from windmills.

589. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Isn’t it wonderful that we apply band aids to our problems rather than go to the source?? We are overpopulated consuming the world's resources at alarming rates. Instead of controlling breeding, we dig for more resources. One day we will deplete the earth and perish. DON’T BREED, please. One child per family, at the most. Adopt but don’t feel you must have a child. You may not be able to afford it. It is costing us to have over bred. Let the suffering begin. World’s population is expanding by more than70 Million more people every year. They all need resources to survive; Water, food, clothing and energy. DON’T BREED

588. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
By my calculations 340 L @ 1 atm equals 1.15 L @ 296 atm. Heck, I'd put about 20 L of compressed air in my vehicle and go cross country. 20L/1.15L * 125mi = 3150 miles

587. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
When unbridled ignorance meets unfounded enthusuiam things like this happen. To use referrences akin to the Wright Brothers is pureile at best. Certain things are established in science and engineering, things such as laws concerning the conservation of mass, energy, momentum etc.It also becomes rapidly obvious that the intelectual capacity of some of these comments is in question when the average post concludes with the usual blame Bush/Big Oil etc tripe.World demand exceeds world supply,thats called supply and demand!, combined with other global conditions gasoline becomes expensive...DUH!In the short term more petroleum is the answer as are various other FEASIBLE alternatives.Unfortunately no magic substance exists which will replace hydrocarbons for every situation.As far as the viability of this "technology", absolutely give it a chance to compete on the open market, if people like it, if it works then it will be sought, if not it will fail.

586. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Interesting concept but not very practical. If there was a way of harnessing the air in Washington, it would power more than a little car. Technology has been there for years to decrease the dependance on oil but the old ways and old Congressmen keep it that way. It's is not just Bush or the Republicans at fault, but every administration since the 70's that have protected the auto makers and oil companies. Look at how many times we have sent troops to protect our oil interests around the world and neglected the resources we have right here in our own backyard. Believe me folks it's all about money and greed.

585. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
There are a lot of naysayers sounding off here. Good thing most innovators ignore such rhetoric. Too much hate and discontent, not enough thinking going on; too many agendas, not enough open-mindedness. There is no great mystery to this technology and I think that actually disappoints a lot of folks. The technology is sound and it works as advertised. I wish these and other innovative thinkers all the best in their endeavors. As for me, put me down for one of these babies when they become available in the U.S. If you want to help get things moving, slow down even more on buying anything new from the automakers (is your old car really in need of replacement?), and try driving a little less. The only way to get a corporation's attention is to cut into its profits, and be sure to let your elected officials know that you won't forgive using taxpayer monies to bail out these corporations because they're losing money. They are in business afterall, consumers won't buy what they don't want, and can't buy what they cannot afford. Zero-emissions vehicles, less negative impact on the environment, more money in the pockets of the average citizen rather than in oil company coffers, less dependence on unstable countries for critcal fuels . . . It's not a panacea for all the world's ills, but the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Hmm, maybe I'll buy two air-powered vehicles with the money I'll save not having to buy gasolene.

584. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Ever heard of Free Enterprise, America was built on it,Remember people laughed at the Wright Brothers and how about the automobile, oh if you go over 15 or 25 mph you will sufficate, all hog wash,the worlds changing and we better change with it, and for those of you who can't change, try walking for a week or better yet ride a bike to work, this idea will work sure it needs this or that and believe me people will work on it, just like their working on not wanting to pay 4 dollars for this gasoline we are being ripped off with. yapping ain't gonna fix nothing, if you have a better Idea, (remember Ford) let's see it.If it can't be sent here let's get enough people here to build it here I'm in, any takers???

583. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Website: air car
Let us all give a chance to this air car project to become a reality....Let us all encourage the promoteur Guy Negre and Tata Motors for their initiatives toward a permanent relief from polluting petoliums ...I wish it realy happens because mother nature is showing us signs of impatience....Bush the worst president in the history of the United States has done the worst damage to mother nature and populations around the world by promoting oil companies ...and other of his friends.It's more than time to wake up and see the facts in front of us today..

582. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Website: http://www.agreenamerica.org
I am simply amazed when I read some of the negative comments here about this technology. Are you the same people that swore the earth was flat? Perhaps the one that said "if man were meant to fly he'd have wings" You MUST be the ones that are convinced the moon landing was staged. This country can not afford to turn its back on things like this. If you think that this technology is bad because it takes energy to fill the tanks just tell me how much energy do you think it takes to transport and refine oil into gas. Yes, it does take coal to generate electricity and yes that is by far the most damaging form of energy but why condemn this because of that. At least with this technology you CAN power it with alternative energy, you dont have to use coal or any other conventional source, we just have to make the change. Its narrow minded negative thinking (and greed) that got us into this mess were in and its going to take thinking such that created this technology to get us out.

581. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
btw, not that I'd give this type of 'culture' any perpetual motion machines or anything of the kind; they'd only use it to ruin my life all the more with their noisy garden machinery and other insufferable intolerable noise that makes life unbearable. But in the interests of say, being honest about exactly why that intolerable situation exists, is why I pointed out what I did about its viability. But then if this were the type of world that would have thought of that first / already (to use the correct means of producing energy) it'd also be the type of world that'd know better than to destroy the peace and tranquility of nature.

580. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Awesome idea. Outside the box, one day we can wave goodbye to the sheiks and send them back to the sand farms. This, battery/electric and permadev are all in the right direction.

579. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
The point is that your lack of understanding of physics is why you don't comprehend what 'perpetual motion' refers to. eg - we guesstimate about what the nature of this reality we exist in, actually is. We guesstimate this particular type of what we call spacetime has a beginning which leads some of us to predict it must have an end; however every cosmologist and more besides are very much aware that even if you agree with beginning and end - the stuff this reality is made of, and how it expanded into what it is now, has to have come from something else that pre-existed it. That's physics; what you're talking about is a very limited point of view based around some assumptions. None of it has been proven in any kind of conclusive way, and it's not scientific to make claims that you've investigated something so thouroughly that you understand everything about it to then go making up 'laws' that apply, when really there's a whole load of things we haven't answered precisely at all about what the universe is and how it operates. About the lack of measurements done in the mind by some as to the zero emissions claims: you're also making assumptions that the electricity to manufacture the vehicles and the compressed air delivery has to be produced in non-renewable ways. Although it may be using fossil fuels to do so currently, the point is that it doesn't have to. They could even make a compressor that produces energy to make more compressors. Even if it did always make use of fossil fuels in manufacture, it would - of course - still be using way less of them than the current system, which uses fossil fuels to manufacture equipment, & then power that equipment to go look for more fossil fuels, & then extract them, & then refine them, & then deliver them, where they are then burned in consumers engines. So, it'd still be more efficient and less polluting than what there is currently anyway.

578. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
We know our inovative some genius people can do anything next day , we got just a major problem here , ''The Big 3 '' They don't like any new idea to come on the market ref to all the cars use alternative energy ,normal exclus gasoline , so they will do anythink dirty ( if some will remember the Diesel history) to stop and advance this new tehnology , except if our crocks corrupted from DC will be on the side of the people and the conservation energy , like any consumator I like the new tehnology and wait to be in market soon .

577. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
WTh is with all the people saying that since the energy comes from power plants it isn't emission free? I work at a huge hydro electric power plant, mind explaining for my benefit what emissions we produce? What compels people to comment on things they know nothing about?

576. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Oh...I forgot one additional question which may or may not have been answered. Does this engine lose any power the closer to empty the tanks get or is the power constant until it gives out?

575. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I did not read all the responses but my questions are these: Will the current US auto makers fight the import of this and other similar products? How difficult will it be to get GAS stations to install the custom air compressor fittings? Can they pass out crash test requirements? With the gas prices headed toward $5/gal and above...the auto as we know it will be extinct in a short time. I forsee current inventory being scrapped. Our Auto Industry is in big trouble. I do not know if they will have enough time to bail themselves out...especially if we have a real calamity in the oil nations... It is not a pretty future for transportation as we knew it. I, for one, am glad I grew up in the '50s and got to enjoy it while we could. I wish the thinkers of this world the best of luck... Give them a chance.

574. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
If we could harness all this negativity and focus on the problem at hand, we'd be king of the hill.....again. All human knowgledge is the result of trial and error. This looks like a pretty clever idea. It curtainly won't single-handidly solve the worlds energy problem, but give them their 'due' at least they're willing to put some effort into it. Once upon a time that kind of forward thinking made America great.

573. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I believe the idea is a good one, however until tests are done to show that the item advertised can complete 125 miles to the tank I have my reservations. The U.S. should incorporate this idea into thier own economy due to the fact that it ships oil to small countries otherwise having no means of obtaining thier own oil needs. The only downfall I see to this is that under President George W Bush this will not happen, however that fool needs a wake-up call. The mechanics of the process seem to be legitimate and it appears to be a beneficial turnover, the possibility of using air-powered vehicles for transporting people and goods will in large part save both economically and environmentally.

572. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
No, it is not ZERO emissions. The electricity it takes to compress the air most likely comes from a coal or gas powered plant. Same with electric or hybrid cars. Coal powered electric plants produce thousands of tons of toxic pollutants and radio-active waste. That's what these people 'forget' to tell the public.

571. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
How do you feed the air into your pistons? Do you have it computored like a fuel system? Thank you!!!

570. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Reader comments are all over. The engineering of high pressure tanks and then controlled use of the pressure is quite an engineering feat, difficult to fathom for my engineering mind. Even filling up in under 10 minutes is not simple. Test drives will wait until Tata engineers have crossed the major design hurdles. This is a well heeled company with vast experience in automobile manufacture. So I trust it is happening. A car like this is not emission free in literal sense as some angry comments point out. But it takes the pollution to a remote electricity generating plant. In a large American town the energy use in cars is less than 5% of the energy used to run all the tenements, businesses and the city. Ever imagine if all that energy was produced from gas all over the city, you could not live there. Now put it in context and you know. This car is as emission free as your light bulb or home air conditioner. If you know the problems of automobile pollution, this is a huge plus. Yes this is not a car for the towns like Dallas and Houston where small cars would even feel unsafe. But this is a great solution for most of the European, Asian and some of the densely populated US cities. Asia and Europe already have million of small cars that will not come close to the crash test ratings of large cars. But it is a different market segment and is bigger than the large car market segment. The comments on political links of the oil interest are quite valid. But this can impede the take up in US not keep it off. Take my word on it, the same US automakers that make gas cars may already be analyzing the patents around this technology where Indian's have taken such a bold leap. Alternatives to gas powered vehicles are bound to be on the roads in very few years. Gas prices have helped funding of dozens of additional initiatives. Skeptics, it appears, are in for a surprise.

569. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Note to 561 and other perpetual motion believers. It can't be done by us humans! God could do it however, by repealing His laws of physics.

568. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Of course it's zero-emissions, you paid-disinformationist. Where do 'you' think electricity came from in the first place? Have a think about renewable systems and what batteries are made of, and realise that it's easily possible to have begun a maufacturing economy that used very little initial-emissions in it's fueled systems in order to put together a framework that never pollutes and doesn't require polluting sources of fuel in any stages of its production. That didn't happen - because people like you, content to spread disinfo and lies, took control over production and implementation of power generating and delivery, and manufacturing. That's why we have systems now that are difficult to switch over from. Another reason they're not easily switched over from, is merely that people are taught how to run things without actually understanding what makes those things tick and work, and then management and decisions and delegations and what gets spent where, and not being done by anyone that comprehends the actual science and tech, it's being done by people who don't even understand how to run a manuf. plant properly & efficiently. Working example: the US Pres. reads out a report suggesting the use of switchgrass as a biofuel. Science backs that up - yet, what do we have flooding the media etc a few years later? Stories about food crops being used for fuel crops, putting up food prices. Lies. Nobody suggested food crops were to be used as biofuels. The point here being - until the wasteful nature-destroyers are prevented from having any power-over-anything in the first place, and idiots are stopped from flooding other heads with bs stories that don't stand up to the feeblest of scrutiny, there won't be any changes in how power is used anyway. If India goes and builds roads all over the country, then the only benefit from zero-emission-anything will be that it's cheaper to run - the quality of life of having a nice place to live in, will be gone and replaced by the road-network hellworld.

567. $3 electricity gets you how far?
# 556 You and everybody else keep repeating the claim that it takes $3 worth of electricity to go 125 miles. It might take $3 to fill the tanks, but this car can go nowhere near 125 miles on a tank of air. It has never happened, and everyone repeats the promoters claims as if they were in fact the truth. Until it is proven it is not the truth, just another unfounded claim. All of the sites that come up on Google, do nothing but repeat the promoters claims, there are no facts there just parts of press releases, links to other articles that just repeat the same swill over and over, until the foolish take it in as fact. It seems as though you can put anything on the internet and the gullible will repeat it as though it is written in stone and has stood the test of time. OBJECTIVITY seems to be what suffers most when folks want to believe something. Your mind will be full of nonsense if you can not learn to filter the truth from the hot air.

566. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
This car is NOT zero emissions as they claim. How do you think the electricity is made that runs the air compressor? Thats right ...a power plant. Nice try but try again.

565. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
This is laughable. As if Bush and the gang would ever permit their buddies to stop earning from gas-run cars.

564. Air-Powered Car without power to sell
It is easy to develop a concept, hold it back from the public and have a license listed for it, so every one else wo wishes to "realy" contribute to human life on earth needs to fight with capital investments and law cases to be allowed to make it better - this is one of such cases. Furthermore, there is a easy concept behind economy "what does not come back, does not go out" meaning, that unless someone proves the air-engine and technology to pay back for investors and fulfills consumers requiremnts for speed and horse power they are used to receive from their regular fossile energy driven cars, there is no such thing like a polution free vehilcle - so very sorry to say!

563. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I personall can not wait to get my hands on one of these cars. And Yes to al of you SUV and Pick-up Truck idiots these cars will work. Why are you people sooo narrow minded and naive. I suppose the US goverment got you just where they want you: Driving a big penis extension gas guzzler, watching sports...blah, blah, blah. Man, you people stupid. Everyone should drive one of these cars. It would break the back of our american oil monguls that really run and control this country. I say shoot them all!!!

562. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Air car, water car, gas car... The problem with this world isn't what car we will drive and what fuel we use to power them. But as long as we're on that subject, let me tell you my idea for solving the world's #1 problem AND the car fuel dilemna. Our world's POPULATION, and it's rate of growth, is our collective BIG problem. Used to be (back in the day) we would debate 'over-population'. Never hear about 'it' any more. Just it's side effects. So, why don't we invent a car that runs on people and kill two birds with one stone? Rob Thorn "Soylent Green is people!"

561. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Website: WWW.GARY-ASHCRAFT.COM
THE AIR CAR IS AWESOME IT NEEDS A AIR REBUILD SYSTEM IN THE AIR CAR THAT WAS CAUSE THE TANKS TO REFILL AS THE WHEELS TURN. LIKE AIR NAIL GUNS THAT ARE CONVERTED TO BUILD AIR COMPRESSION. ONE ON EACH WHEEL! IT CAN BE DONE!

560. Real concerns about the CAT cars
I just spent 2 hours reading the comments on here and not a lot of aswers dealt with my concerns. I live in the Washington DC area where the temperature ranges from 20 to 100 degrees F on average. The humidity can get up there and winds can be quite stong. I see how the shape of the car can cut wind resistance and the weight allows a lesser powered engine to move the car. But here are my questions: 1) How does the car fair in crosswinds? 2) Will compressing the humid air cause problems or is the air filtered into a medium the way CO2 is captured in soda? 3) How does the car do in the standard crash tests? 4) Is this fiber-glass type plastics or is this the super strong composites that make titanium look like paper machet? 5) I drive 90 miles a day, commuting, with no place to charge the air canisters, can this car do this distance? 6) I live in a townhome, where there is no easy way to run a cord from the building to the parking lot and compress the air over night. Is there a way to compress the air using another medium like gas?

559. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Amazing how a new technology emerges and is not up to acceptable performance and safety standards yet and people begin screeming for the government to make it work. The new tech is created by Free minds using Free will working in Free markets deriving experience from Free markets (in this case a race car engineer) to fill a demand utilizing Free market investing and Free market suppliers and communicating with Free speech The government does nothing but impeed progress. Eventually clean technologies will made practical by the Free Market.

558. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Amazing how a new technology emerges and is not up to acceptable performance and safety standards yet and people begin screeming for the government to make it work. The new tech is created by Free minds using Free will working in Free markets deriving experience from Free markets (in this case a race car engineer) to fill a demand utilizing Free market investing and Free market suppliers and communicating with Free speech The government does nothing but impeed progress. Eventually clean technologies will made practical by the Free Market.

557. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
Website: zulqarnain.us
I have been waiting for this or similar products since 1997 when Brazil and France promised such cars. But that never materialized. I wish this does.

556. Mild rebuttal to #547
"[G]et a grip and try to learn something. Just for grins explore the First Law of Thermodynamics. You cannot put more energy into a system than you can extract!!!!" *** You're absolutely correct. It takes energy to compress the air that runs the pistons to drive the motor of the air-powered car. If the manufacturer or any previous commenters said that the air car provided more energy than it took to fill it, they'd be incorrect. *** I'm pretty sure that the manufacturer has not made this absurd claim. *** "[T]here are always losses in the process: Heat, friction, aerodynamic drag... These are all losses." *** Again you're correct. The more efficiently-made the car is, and the more efficient your system for generating and using energy, the more you can minimize those energy losses and direct the power to the purpose you intend to use it for. For example, electrical energy from a large-scale electrical plant (coal, hydro, or nuclear) is more efficiently generated than energy from a gas-powered automobile. *** "FACE IT, until something legitimate is developed, petroleum is the only way to go." *** Here's where your argument breaks down. What makes the idea of an air-powered car "illegitimate"? It's not breaking any thermodynamic laws. In fact, it's leveraging economies of scale by deriving its power from large-scale electrical generation. If you're getting your compressed air from a compressor that's powered by "the grid", it's far more efficient than a gas-powered motor. That would be why it costs about $3 in electricity to "fuel" an air car, as opposed to (125 miles at 30 miles per gallon = 4 gallons) $16 to fuel a gas-powered car. *** "And just one other point, what do you propose we use to power trains, tractor-trailers, ships, aircraft etc....air, or maybe magic fairy dust?" That's a valid point, if perhaps a little antagonistically phrased. I'd suggest using fossil fuels until we can think of something better. Just because a person advocates air cars, doesn't mean that everything has to go that way. Flexibility and adaptability are the keys to surviving the future.

555. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
I am not technically skilled in physics or mechanics but I have an open mind as to energy alternatives. However, as suggested by one reader, I tried to do some research. I wrote to the marketing section of TATA Motors and they responded that "the vehicle has not been launched and they cannot comment further". They did refer me to www.theaircar.com. This is interesting as this site is run by a Spaniard who previously worked with MDI. On the MDI website there is a warning that MDI has severed all business contact -"Following serious commercial misconducts from Mr. Miguel Celades". I would caution anyone to be careful and keep their money in their wallet until this compressed air vehaicle is able to be demonstrated and tested independantly.

554. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
hey guys just so you know tata motors didnt invent the car ... look up the facts... french inventor .. i think tata is trying to make a deal to build it in india ... but not indian per se..... the car is legit .... google air powered car... plain and simple :) and the part that really worries me is this ... if its possible ... just vaguely possible ... why arent we trying to make it work. big oil, tree huggers they all have something to gain and lose in this debate , but the truth is this .. we havent come up with a new jump in technology in a long time we have become stagnant .... do we want to keep using oil in perpetuity or do we really want to start using our heads and say hey time for change is now

553. RE: World's First Air-Powered Car: Zero Emissions by Next Summer
In response to post #549, Nope ,not a shill for OPEC or anyone else for that matter.I am simply trying to point out the folly of believing every semi-feasible "solution" that comes along with claims which either defy or seriously challenge immutable physical laws or are unable to be confirmed independently. In addition, if this vehicle performs as advertised and is in fact "glued together" then one must assume it to be very lightly constructed, hence in a collision with a real automobile this thing is very likely a four-wheeled coffin!Be an adult and face reality, oil is the best fuel source we have currently, given all considerations such as infrastructure, proven technology etc. Certainly there are likely better fuel sources long term, but for now ,instead of more hair-brained schemes we need to refine the technology we have, increase efficiencies and assure reliable supplies of fuel sources while developing SENSIBLE solutions.

552. # 549 Send them your money
# 549 Us folks who you call "naysayers" are merely trying to protect the gullible from themselves. Someone has to ask questions and do research, if you are not going to. All of you who are all excited about this car need to ask yourself a few questions, and search for the truth. For example; If they say the car can drive 125 miles on a tank of air, why have they not shown that to the public? If they claim the indian Company Tata is going to start production in August of this year, why is there no information about the "AIR CAR" on Tata Motors website? Why does this company, MDI make production claims that never come true, as in 2001, 2002, etc.? Mexico never got Air Taxis as they claimed they would, etc. Why do they claim to be involved with Airbu