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Compressed-Air Car Nears Trial

Posted by timothy on from the under-pressure dept.

DeviceGuru writes "Air France and KLM have announced plans to conduct a six-month trial of a new zero-emission, compressed-air powered vehicle. The AirPod seats three, can do 28 mph, and goes about 135 miles on a tank of compressed air. Motor Development International, the vehicle's developer, expects the AirPod to reach production by mid-2009, and to sell for around 6,000 Euro. Initially, it will be manufactured in India by Tata Motors, and distributed in France and India."

3 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. Re:AirPod by MichaelSmith · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How much energy is required to run the compressor to fill the high pressure air cylinders?

    Obviously more than you get out of the drive line at the other end of the system. Compressed air does lose lot of energy to heat.

    In fact calculating energy loss would almost be a textbook example in thermodynamics.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  2. Re:I'm not sure I get it... by sammyF70 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I see quite a few actually
    • I assume building and recycling a gas tank/engine is better for the environment than it's the case for batteries.
    • compressors needed to supply the compressed air in the first place are cheap and easy to make, and can easily take advantage of alternative energy.
    • Filling your gas tank is near-instanteanous (at least compared to recharging a battery)
    • it's noisy compared to electric motors, so no worry you get overrun by this pesky 28mph-race machine at night because you didn't hear it coming!

    Seriously though, about the 28mph : this is marketed as a city car. Most of the time, in cities, you'd be happy to be driving at that speed. In most bigger cities, the circulation is stop and go for the better part of the day, along with some awfull air polution. Only airpowered car would be a blessing .. I guess there is a reason why India is so interested in this technology.

    --
    "DRM is like the Ford Pinto: it's a smooth ride, right up the point at which it explodes and ruins your day."-C.Doctorow
  3. Re:AirPod by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 5, Insightful

    the electric plant, petrol engine, or whatever other source used to run the compressor that compresses the air, certainly does pollute.

    Which can be dealt with more effectively than it can on each car.