The Air Car - zero pollution and very low running costs

[Derwin]

A new agreement between Tata Motors and MDI bring the air-car closer to reality!

We have shown you (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/02/23/future-cars-on-discovery-highlights-fuels-of-the-future/) the air-car (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/02/24/more-information-with-video-on-the-air-car-as-mentioned-by/) before, and you may have seen it on TV if you watched the Discovery Channel (http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/future-car/future-car.html) series, Future Car (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/01/27/starting-feb-7th-future-cars-on-discovery-channel/). If you did, you witnessed them erroneously refer to the possibility of perpetual motion in reference to the air-car. While there is no perpetual motion at work here, there may be production plans in the works. An agreement between Tata Motors and MDI, creators and patent-holders for the air-car and it's powertrain may just bring the air-car to market.

Details of the air-car peg the top-speed at 68 mph, and a range of 200-300 kilometers (up to 186 miles). The tanks containing the compressed air can be refilled at special stations, or using the on-board electric compressor in 3-4 hours. The vehicle is expected to see use primarily in urban environments. Will it ever hit U.S. shores? We'll see, right?

https://sec.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/ww/news/2007/05/30/aircar.jpg

Many respected engineers have been trying for years to bring a compressed air (http://shots.snap.com/explore/81450/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCompres sed_air&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=compressed%20air&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_air car to market, believing strongly that compressed air can power a viable "zero pollution (http://shots.snap.com/explore/13796/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPolluti on&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=pollution&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution " car.

Now the first commercial compressed air car is on the verge of production and beginning to attract a lot of attention, and with a recently signed partnership with Tatahttp://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.43.0.1/t.gif (http://www.tatamotors.com/), India’s largest automotive manufacturer, the prospects of very cost-effective mass production are now a distinct possibility. The MiniC.A.Thttp://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.43.0.1/t.gif (http://www.theaircar.com/) is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fibreglass.

The heart of the electronic and communication system on the car is a computer offering an array of information reports that extends well beyond the speed of the vehicle, and is built to integrate with external systems and almost anything you could dream of, starting with voice recognition, internet connectivity, GSM telephone connectivity, a GPS guidance system, fleet management systems, emergency systems, and of course every form of digital entertainment.

The engine is fascinatinghttp://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.43.0.1/t.gif (http://www.theaircar.com/howitworks.html), as is and the revolutionary electrical systemhttp://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.43.0.1/t.gif (http://www.theaircar.com/thecar.html) that uses just one cable and so is the vehicle’s wireless control system. 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.

Most importantly, it is incredibly cost-efficient to run – according to the designers, it costs less than one Euro per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (http://shots.snap.com/explore/32142/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_Shot_Custom%257CPortfolio_Magazine%257CPo rtfolio.com_Articles_Feb_28_2008_F-I&tag=Innovation-At-Big-Companies%20Dec-07&src=pub-1895593-www.gizmag.com&cp=&asp=electric%20car&dfs=10&tol=engage)Innovation-At-Big-Companies Dec-07 http://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.43.0.1/t.gif (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 68 mph.
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 1.5 Euros, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometres.

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 (http://shots.snap.com/explore/51866/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCombust ion&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=combustion&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil (http://shots.snap.com/explore/79741/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FVegetab le_fats_and_oils&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=vegetable%20oil&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_fats_and_oils ) is necessary only every 50,000 Km.


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.

How does it work?
90m3 of compressed air is stored in fibre tanks. The expansion of this air pushes the pistons and creates movement. The atmospheric temperature is used to re-heat the engine and increase the road coverage. The air conditioning system makes use of the expelled cold air. Due to the absence of combustion and the fact there is no pollution, the oil change is only necessary every 31.000 miles.

At the moment, four models have been made: a car, a taxi (5 passengers), a Pick-Up truck and a van. The final (http://shots.snap.com/explore/83995/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FThe_Fin al&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=The%20final&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final selling price will be approximately 5.500 pounds.

The Company
"Moteur Development International" (MDI) is a company founded in Luxembourg, based in the south of France (http://shots.snap.com/explore/92524/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSouther n_France&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=south%20of%20France&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_France and with its Commercial Office in Barcelona. MDI has researched and developed the Air Car (http://shots.snap.com/explore/47294/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCompres sed_air_car&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=Air%20Car&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_air_car over 10 years and the technology is protected by more than 30 International patents and MDI is actively seeking licensees, with according to the company, 50 factories in Europe, America and Asia signed already.

The Factory
It is predicted that the factory will produce 3.000 cars each year, with 70 staff working only one 8-hour shift a day. If there were 3 shifts some 9.000 cars could be produced a year.

The Tata Agreement
Tata Motors (http://shots.snap.com/explore/42778/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_Shot_Custom%257CPortfolio_Magazine%257CPo rtfolio.com_Articles_Feb_28_2008_Q-T&tag=Tatas-tiny-new-nano%20Feb-08&src=pub-1895593-www.gizmag.com&cp=&asp=Tata%20Motors&dfs=10&tol=engage)Tatas-tiny-new-nano Feb-08 http://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.43.0.1/t.gif is India's largest automobile company, with revenues of US$ 5.5 billion in 2005-06. With over 4 million Tata vehicles on Indian roads, it is the leader in commercial vehicles and the second largest in passenger vehicles. It is also the world's fifth largest medium and heavy truck manufacturer and the second largest heavy bus manufacturer.

Tata has signed an agreement with MDI for application in India of MDI’s engine technology, and believes the engine is viable – it’s press statement described it as “efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and capable of other applications such as power generation”.

The agreement between Tata Motors (http://shots.snap.com/explore/48563/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_Shot_Custom%257CPortfolio_Magazine%257CPo rtfolio.com_Articles_Feb_28_2008_Q-T&tag=Tatas-tiny-new-nano%20Feb-08&src=pub-1895593-www.gizmag.com&cp=&asp=Tata%20Motors&dfs=10&tol=engage)Tatas-tiny-new-nano Feb-08 http://i.ixnp.com/images/v3.43.0.1/t.gif and MDI envisages Tata’s supporting further development and refinement of the technology, and its application and licensing for India.

MDI is a small, family-controlled company located at Carros (http://shots.snap.com/explore/76087/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCarros&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=Carros&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carros , near Nice (Southern France (http://shots.snap.com/explore/88215/?key=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&svc=Snap_LinkBubble&tag=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSouther n_France&src=8f3910c40215ff2aa1e6a032be942848&cp=linkbubble&asp=Southern%20France&dfs=410&tol=engage)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_France ) where Guy and Cyril Negre and their technical team have developed the engine technology and the technologically advanced car it powers.

http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/7000_19030784601.jpg

So, what do you guys think of this technology? Do you think the "AIR CAR" technology is viable, and a real alternative to our energy crises? Many of you have probably already been aware of this, but I just came across this recently. So, if you are familiar with this project and technology, please feel free to post your thoughts here. And, if this is the first you have heard about this, please share YOUR thoughts as well. Thanks.

Derwin

[Miracleman89]

My problem is that it is kinda UGLY! other then that hey I like the tech!!! maybe with a more advanced aerodynamic design they could sell more!

[Derwin]

MM89.... It isn't the "design" that I am really interested about. It is the TECHNOLOGY. If the technology is legitimate, than they can take that technology and build all sorts of vehicle designs around it. I'm just wondering if anybody has actually investigated this to any extent as to come to any valid conclusions. If the tech is viable, I would think this would be incredibly revolutionary in its implications.

Derwin

[Miracleman89]

So I guess we agree on something else! :)

[RAN]

One thing I didn't know is that the exhaust was cold enough to cool the car the way ICE's can heat it. I'm not sure what I think of having a high pressure tank that close to me, but that's.... kewl!

[Miracleman89]

The exhaust cooling technique is just the compressed air. Have you ever seen a paintball gun fire a paintball? You can sometimes see a small puff of very cold air come out of the barrel. I think it is a pretty cool thing that the exhaust acts as an ac unit!

[Mark Tomlinson]

The MDI engine is complex and convoluted. I'm surprised Tata is going with it. I prefer the Engineair (http://www.engineair.com.au/index.htm) because of it's simplicity, size, and efficiency. However, the developer, Angelo DiPietro, is one of those overly cuatious types who won't do the marketing that MDI does.

Another thing I find odd is that they don't convert these to "heat engines". They could heat the air using gasoline in a combustor, causing it to expand and drive the engine. A portion of the output power would drive a compressor thus making a compressed air tank unnecessary. It's known as the Brayton cycle and is how jet engines work. I know it adds complexity, but they've been in development for years so you'd think they'd figure it out by know. Maybe something's in the works, but MDI just wants to get a product to market.

[danbucks]

How much more expansion do they need? The compression/expansion is "pre-driven" by the huge PSI in the tanks. These guys clearly aimed at making a gas-free car - their early prototypes were a joke, since the tanks were so heavy. Key to success is light-weight tanks.
fuel-vapor technology is a better compromise between using air, while still using gasoline.

Some benefits of this tech (assuming they can do this) are:
-should be dirt cheap (it all goes back to the price of high-tech tanks)
-won't explode
-zero emissions
-easy to convert all gas stations (A relatively cheap huge compressed air tank/compressor)

They claim 95MPGe ... this once again rests on the weight of the tanks, + the inefficiencies of the engine, which should be similar to standard ICE engines (minus built in loss of gasoline itself)

[danbucks]

note: a punctured air tank, however, will turn your car into a small rocket, going the direction opposite to the puncture :-)

[AZEqualizer]

Yes, I can verify that. While I was scuba diving in New England I saw some clumsy person, while attempting to juggle things into their trunk, drop a SCUBA tank on it's neck snapping it off. This sent the tank, like an unguided rocket, though a block wall and then into the brick wall of the SCUBA shop where it didn't penetrate the store wall very far but still did some fair damage... Luckily no one was hurt.

[AZEqualizer]

Yes, I can verify that. While I was scuba diving in New England I saw some clumsy person, while attempting to juggle things into their trunk, drop a SCUBA tank on it's neck snapping it off. This sent the tank, like an unguided rocket, though a block wall and then into the brick wall of the SCUBA shop where it didn't penetrate the store wall very far but still did some fair damage... Luckily no one was hurt.

Plus when you compress air to any degree you get a lot of heat (and the opposite is true when you release it) That is why you have to use a water immersion when you fill SCUBA tanks.

[cpaddock]

Promising technology, but I HATE air compressors because they are so noisy! The discovery
episode was most memorable to me due to the fact that the car sounded like an air compressor running in reverse! Hopfully they can work on the noise pollution to acheive
true zero emissions:)

[danbucks]

Style of noise is annoying or is the dB actually louder?
I can't imagine the latter is true (or far off): a compression-based engine is - well - a compression based engine, no matter what gas you use. dB at a given hp should be roughly comparable (perhaps theirs has a not-so-nice curve for there's, resulting in the classic ratta-tat-tat..., high impulse dB emissions) at comparable RPMs.
You are right - a long, peaceful, country road ride to a ratta-tat-tat doesn't work!

[meckman1]

note: a punctured air tank, however, will turn your car into a small rocket, going the direction opposite to the puncture :-)

Dude! Then you could go 75 miles an hour! lol=y:

[AZEqualizer]

In the U.S. market, the company will emphasize the largest of these, a four-door six-seat car, which Vencat expects to sell for between $18,000 and $20,000. (In addition to his role as executive vice president of MDI, Inc., the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of MDI SA in Luxembourg, he is CEO of Zero Pollution Motors based in New Paltz, NY - the company's first franchisee here.)

He anticipates selling at least 4,000 cars in the first year in the U.S.

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/10/minicat-01-550x365-thumb-450x298.jpg

Read the full article on Green Car Advisor (http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2008/10/compressed-air-car-has-backers-detractors-and-a-us-production-date.html)

[Hardtime11]

Dude! Then you could go 75 miles an hour! lol=y:

Let me know and I will make sure you are entered into the DARWIN AWARDS (http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/jato.html)!

I hear the JATO thing all over again. Try two tanks for stability dr:ive1)

[meckman1]

Let me know and I will make sure you are entered into the DARWIN AWARDS (http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/alex/jato.html)!

I hear the JATO thing all over again. Try two tanks for stability dr:ive1)

cool:thu:mb1 :LOL:

But what? does JATO mean?:confused:
/

[AZEqualizer]

Jet Assist Take-Off ( JATO) and Rocket Assist Take-Off (RATO) were means to assist large heavy planes to take off with a short runway or for other assisted launches.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/C-130T_Hercules_Blue_Angels.jpg/800px-C-130T_Hercules_Blue_Angels.jpg
http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceball.gif
http://l.yimg.com/g/images/spaceball.gif

[Miracleman89]

^ now that is cool!!! Can we get that as an option on the V1??? dr:ive1)

[Mark Tomlinson]

^ now that is cool!!! Can we get that as an option on the V1??? dr:ive1)
The JATO thing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JATO_Rocket_Car

[Miracleman89]

Hey this might work for my MR2 as well! =y: dr:ive1) :burning:rubber: fir:st:pl:ace))1

[RAN]

Hey this might work for my MR2 as well! =y: dr:ive1) :burning:rubber: fir:st:pl:ace))1

From 0 to Wal-Mart in 60 seconds! :bounce:

[Miracleman89]

well that sure beats the heck out of my current hour drive to wal-mart! LOL

[Gunner]

Tata has said the tanks are made of composite so they will come unwound if ruptured. They said that will avoid them turning into a rocket or a bomb. Sounds reasonable, hope it's true. du:n:n:o(

[meckman1]

Well, that takes all of the fun out of it!o:h"we"ll1

[Mark Tomlinson]

Still, I think their claims are full of hot air. (Get it? Hot air? See, they heat the compressed air to improve mileage and... Oh, never mind.)

[AZEqualizer]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/10/mdiflowair.jpg

Autobloggreen (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/24/skepticism-about-mdis-strike-aircar-strike-flowair-promises/) had this to say:

One of France's most prestigious auto magazines, L'Auto Journal, has published a very skeptical and critical report about Guy Nègre's MDI compressed air car, whether we call it the AirCar or FlowAir. (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/10/mdis-aircar-get-a-new-name-now-called-the-flowair/) The article (not available online) makes quite a number of arguments against MDI and the whole idea.


First of all, L'Auto Journal focuses on the technology. Yes, the engine is quite revolutionary in how it uses the power of air but how about storing the compressed air? In order to store the energy equivalent of 1 liter of gasoline, we need 150 liters of air. When compared to a small Hyundai I10, MDI's largest model, the OneFlow Air, doesn't perform that well: At 50 km/h (30 mph), the I10 only needs a single liter of fuel to drive for 34 km (22 miles) - that's 150 out of the available 190 liters in the canisters of the OneFlow Air - yet it weights double. The numbers don't add up and L'Auto Journal claims the OneFlow Air will barely get 100 km of range. And there's more...



See the full article for more. (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/10/24/skepticism-about-mdis-strike-aircar-strike-flowair-promises/)

[Derwin]

Air Cars: A New Wind for America's Roads?

by Jim Ostroff
Thursday, October 30, 2008provided byhttp://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/fi/gr/partner_logos/kiplinger_170x33.gif (http://www.kiplinger.com/)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/fi/19/18/07.gif
Courtesy of MDI A new carmaker has a plan for cheap, environmentally friendly cars to be built all over the country
An air-powered car? It may be available sooner than you think at a price tag that will hardly be a budget buster. The vehicle may not run like a speed racer on back road highways, but developer Zero Pollution Motors is betting consumers will be willing to fork over $20,000 for a vehicle that can motor around all day on nothing but air and a splash of salad oil, alcohol or possibly a pint of gasoline.



The expertise needed to build a compressed air car, or CAV, is not rocket science, either. Years-old, off-the-shelf technology uses compressed air to drive old-fashioned car engine pistons instead of combusting gas or diesel fuel to create a burst of air to do the same thing. Indian carmaker Tata has no qualms about the technology. It has already bought the rights to make the car for the huge Indian market.


The air car can tool along at a top speed of 35 mph for some 60 miles or so on a tank of compressed air, a sufficient distance for 80% of consumers to commute to work and back and complete daily chores.


http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/fi/19/18/13.gif
Courtesy of MDI On highways, the CAV can cruise at interstate speeds for nearly 800 miles with a small motor that compresses outside air to keep the tank filled. The motor isn't finicky about fuel. It will burn gasoline or diesel as well as biodiesel, ethanol or vegetable oil.


This car leaves the highest-mpg vehicles you can buy right now in the dust. Even if it used only regular gasoline, the air car would average 106 mpg, more than double today's fuel sipping champ, the Toyota Prius. The air tank also can be refilled when it's not in use by being plugged into a wall socket and recharged with electricity as the motor compresses air.


Automakers aren't quite ready yet to gear up huge assembly line operations churning out air cars or set up glitzy dealer showrooms where you can ooh and aah over the color or style. But the vehicles will be built in factories that will make up to 8,000 vehicles a year, likely starting in 2011, and be sold directly to consumers.


There will be plants in nearly every state, based on the number of drivers in the state. California will have as many as 17 air car manufacturing plants, and there'll be around 12 in Florida, eight in New York, four in Georgia, while two in Connecticut will serve that state and Rhode Island.




(http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106025/Five-Ways-to-Save-on-Child-Care-Costs) (http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home) The technology goes back decades, but is coming together courtesy of two converging forces. First, new laws are likely to be enacted in a few years that will limit carbon dioxide emissions and force automakers to develop ultra-high mileage cars and those that emit minuscule amounts of or no gases linked with global warming. Plug-in electric hybrids will slash these emissions, but they'll be pricey at around $40,000 each and require some changes in infrastructure -- such as widespread recharge stations -- to be practical. Fuel cells that burn hydrogen to produce only water vapor still face daunting technical challenges.


Second, the relatively high cost of gas has expedited the air car's development. Yes, pump prices have plunged since July from record levels, but remain way higher than just a few years ago and continue to take a bite out of disposable income. Refiners will face carbon emission restraints, too, and steeply higher costs will be passed along at the pump.


Tata doesn't plan to produce the cars in the U.S. Instead, it plans to charge $15 million for the rights to the technology, a fully built turnkey auto assembly plant, tools, machinery, training and rights to use trademarks.


The CAV has a big hurdle: proving it can pass federal crash tests. Shiva Vencat, president and CEO of Zero Pollution Motors, says he's not worried. "The requirements can be modeled [on a computer] before anything is built and adjusted to ensure that the cars will pass" the crash tests. Vencat also is a vice president of MDI Inc., a French company that developed the air car.


The inventor of this technology is Mr. Guy Negre, who is the founder and CEO of MDI SA, a company headquartered in Luxembourg with its R and D in Nice, France.


Copyrighted, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.

[Baja_Traveler]

That is too funny - seeing the picture at the top of the article I thought to myself "Geez the french must have designed that one" - sure enough when I got to the bottom there it was...

This is the second time I've come across this motor that will run on any fuel you put in it - I'd like to see some more info on that...

[danbucks]

The air car has been talked about many times, but I can't find the threads. That image is new to me, though: I am not worried about crash tests, I'd like to see that short, narrow, thing hit a large pot hole (i.e. stability).
Coming back from Peru, I wonder how well their compressor works at 14,000 feet! :shivering:

[randi]

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106040/Air-Cars:-A-New-Wind-for-America's-Roads (http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106040/Air-Cars:-A-New-Wind-for-America%27s-Roads)

"The air car can tool along at a top speed of 35 mph for some 60 miles or so on a tank of compressed air, a sufficient distance for 80% of consumers to commute to work and back and complete daily chores.

"On highways, the CAV can cruise at interstate speeds for nearly 800 miles with a small motor that compresses outside air to keep the tank filled. The motor isn't finicky about fuel. It will burn gasoline or diesel as well as biodiesel, ethanol or vegetable oil.

"There will be plants in nearly every state, based on the number of drivers in the state. California will have as many as 17 air car manufacturing plants, and there'll be around 12 in Florida, eight in New York, four in Georgia, while two in Connecticut will serve that state and Rhode Island.

" ... The CAV has a big hurdle: proving it can pass federal crash tests. Shiva Vencat, president and CEO of Zero Pollution Motors, says he's not worried. "The requirements can be modeled [on a computer] before anything is built and adjusted to ensure that the cars will pass" the crash tests. Vencat also is a vice president of MDI Inc., a French company that developed the air car.

" ... Indian carmaker Tata has no qualms about the technology. It has already bought the rights to make the car for the huge Indian market.

"... Tata doesn't plan to produce the cars in the U.S. Instead, it plans to charge $15 million for the rights to the technology, a fully built turnkey auto assembly plant, tools, machinery, training and rights to use trademarks."

Opt for one of these for $20K--runs on compressed air, salad oil, alcohol or possibly a pint of gasoline.

They'll be making 8,000 annually of these buggies starting 2011.

[ziggy951]

"Trusted on a golf course, but not in an accident with a bicyclist"

I swear. Its like most of the makers of these "alternative vehicles" havent even driven on an American road. These things have their uses, but those uses dont include a realistic view of the American highway.



Z

[AZEqualizer]

thu:mbs:up:22 Moved some of the posts above to this thread to keep it simple

[MVRacing]

Saw an article today on AutoBlogGreen about the air car. It stated the Air Car is joystick controlled. Searched, but have been unable to find further reference or photos.

I think it is interesting in relation to the Dagne, and weather that mode of controll will be acceptable to the DOT.