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fekete

Member Since: 24 Dec 2008
Location: Here on the other end of the computer
Posts: 3626

2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Bonatti Grey

Tata Motors to introduce Air Car

Tata Motors is taking giant strides and making history for itself.

First the Landrover-Jaguar deal, then the world's cheapest car and now it is also set to introduce the car that runs on air, compressed air.

With spiralling fuel prices it is about time we heard some breakthrough!

India's largest automaker Tata Motors 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 by August 2010.

The Air Car, called the MiniCAT could cost around Rs. 3,50,000 ($ 8177) in India and would have a range of around 300 km between refuels.

The cost of a refill would be about Rs. 85 ($ 2).

The MiniCAT which is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fiberglass powered by compressed air. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators etc.

There are no keys - just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket. According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km. The car has a top speed of 105 kmph. Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 100 rupees, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometers.

As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours. Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000Km).

The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0-15 degrees below zero, which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.

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5th Aug 2010 8:02pm

Setok

Member Since: 16 Jan 2009
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 419

Seems a lot of innovation is going to be taking place in places like India in the future. I think one of the reasons is that you can actually pull off things like this. Over here in Europe producing any car is extremely expensive, and very heavy work with regulations upon regulations, taxes on everything, and expensive workforce used to their comforts. Not the best place for innovating right now.

9th Aug 2010 8:05pm

Laurie

Member Since: 22 Feb 2008
Location: Sussex, England
Posts: 2897

2005 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Bonatti Grey

It would be physically impossible to make a car that could do 300Km on compressed air.
It has to be a wind-up. Or would that make it clockwork?

9th Aug 2010 10:42pm

Eduardo

Member Since: 28 Aug 2008
Location: RegiÃ³n Metropolitana
Posts: 2109

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Stornoway Grey

Some thoughs

The car have the same problems that the hidrogen cells car. A compressed air bottle need to be filled somehow and that should require an amount of energy that is bigger than the final energy ouput of the car.
So, finally we are in the same path... Using fossil energy to feed the powerplant that produce electricity to compress the air that the motor use.

I dont know the efficiency of this motor but is work like the normal motor (pistons, valves, etc) I have some doubts if will be better than a normal one

Cheers Eduardo

MY 2007 110 SW PUMA 2.4: Big Fog of 64'
MY 1994 Jayco 1207 Folding camper: "El Tremendo"

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11th Aug 2010 1:42am

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