Amazing Air Car! Ot

[Chester Brzostowski]

Anyone seen this...

_______________________________

The Compressed Air Car developed by Motor Development International (MDI) Founder Guy Negre might be the best thing to have happened to the motor engine in years.

This is the same company who, a few months back, came out with a car that costs only $2,500.00 new (but it's not available in the US, why does that not surprise me?). A non polluting vehicle that eliminates the reason to buy gasoline from off shore companies. How bad is that?

The $12,700 CityCAT, one of the 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 only around $2 to fill the car up with 340 liters of air!

The Air Car will be starting production relatively soon, thanks to India's TATA Motors. Forget corn! There's fuel, there's renewable fuel, and then there's user-renewable fuel! What can be better than air? Now If We Can Just Get It In The USA!

[krodaddy]

I want one.

[JerseyHarold]

Check out their website:

http://www.theaircar.com/acf/

[JohnS48plm]

According to the American Automobile A Centenary 1893-1993, in 1896 the American Wheelock Company of Worcester, Massachusetts built a 6 seat carriage called the Pneumatic. It could go 15 mph at the low engine speed of 350rpm. The expansion of the air was aided by hot water that was stored in a separate tank. Limited range was the compressed air engines main drawback.

Just goes to show that history repeats itself. JohnS

[NatesSedan]

Some interesting youtubes on the subject.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4

Sounds like the guy has quite a background with cars. Too bad they couldn't make them more attractive...though with the cost of fuel they get better and better looking each week!

[Psychobilly1949]

thats pretty amazing, but why do all the economical cars have to be so ugly?

[NatesSedan]

Hey Psycho..welcome to the forum. Nice to see someone from my neck of the woods! Not many NWers around here.

[Psychobilly1949]

ya i just found this site last night, i like it a lot, i was looking for a new rear end for my truck and i found this! i have only seen one other truck like mine in the nw and the guy ruined it, he took out his flattie and put in a 400 s/b chevy...well he ruined it in my opinion.

[NatesSedan]

Thats too bad. For what its worth someone ruined my P-15 with a 350 SBC as well. Oh well. Parts are cheap and easy to come by. I may end up with a 318 at some point just to take it back to Mopar.

Have any pics?

[Psychobilly1949]

no not yet, i will try to post some up later. im currently redoing most of the wiring because something keeps shorting. im somewhat of a purist so i can understand wanting to keep everything mopar.

[PatS....]

Anyone seen this...

_______________________________

The Compressed Air Car developed by Motor Development International (MDI) Founder Guy Negre might be the best thing to have happened to the motor engine in years.

This is the same company who, a few months back, came out with a car that costs only $2,500.00 new (but it's not available in the US, why does that not surprise me?). A non polluting vehicle that eliminates the reason to buy gasoline from off shore companies. How bad is that?

The $12,700 CityCAT, one of the 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 only around $2 to fill the car up with 340 liters of air!

The Air Car will be starting production relatively soon, thanks to India's TATA Motors. Forget corn! There's fuel, there's renewable fuel, and then there's user-renewable fuel! What can be better than air? Now If We Can Just Get It In The USA!

Like the electric car, where does the power come from to run the compressor?

Fossil fuels.

So the polution and dependency on imported oil is still there, just not apparent.

And if it took off, you can bet compressed air and air compressors would be taxed to death.

[TodFitch]

Like the electric car, where does the power come from to run the compressor?

Fossil fuels.

So the polution and dependency on imported oil is still there, just not apparent.

And if it took off, you can bet compressed air and air compressors would be taxed to death.

You have a couple of the problems identified:

1) For transportation use you need acquire the energy to move the vehicle and a way to store energy that is transportable. At present we happen to be mining an energy supply that has pretty high energy density and is a liquid that can be transported and handled relatively easily. So it solves both the "where does it come from" and "how do we transport it" problems. Batteries, hydrogen, compressed air and flywheels are attempts to solve the problem of "how can we make it portable". My guess is that batteries are still in the lead for the "making it portable" solution. Where it comes from? That is a huge and highly debated topic that covers resource depletion, environmental issues, technical feasibility, political desire, national security and other concerns.

2) Our road system is largely paid for by use taxes in the form of gasoline taxes. If there are significant number of vehicles on the road that don't use gasoline (or use very little) then that finance model breaks down. I have heard that Oregon (or maybe it was Washington state) has been considering the idea of taxing vehicles based on miles driven to make up for the "lost" revenue from gas sipping high efficiency or alternative fuel vehicles. Basically everything, including roads, costs money to build and maintain (how much that should be depends on your view of government wastefulness) and the money needs to come from somewhere.

[David Maxwell]

...as the air pressure starts to drop? If the range is 125 miles; is the last 20 miles at 5 mph? I think this is really cool. Just hope it's limitations are not too severe.

[PatS....]

You have a couple of the problems identified:

1) For transportation use you need acquire the energy to move the vehicle and a way to store energy that is transportable. At present we happen to be mining an energy supply that has pretty high energy density and is a liquid that can be transported and handled relatively easily. So it solves both the "where does it come from" and "how do we transport it" problems. Batteries, hydrogen, compressed air and flywheels are attempts to solve the problem of "how can we make it portable". My guess is that batteries are still in the lead for the "making it portable" solution. Where it comes from? That is a huge and highly debated topic that covers resource depletion, environmental issues, technical feasibility, political desire, national security and other concerns.

2) Our road system is largely paid for by use taxes in the form of gasoline taxes. If there are significant number of vehicles on the road that don't use gasoline (or use very little) then that finance model breaks down. I have heard that Oregon (or maybe it was Washington state) has been considering the idea of taxing vehicles based on miles driven to make up for the "lost" revenue from gas sipping high efficiency or alternative fuel vehicles. Basically everything, including roads, costs money to build and maintain (how much that should be depends on your view of government wastefulness) and the money needs to come from somewhere.

So, no matter which fuel efficient vehicle comes along, government will find a way to make it unaffordable.

[TodFitch]

So, no matter which fuel efficient vehicle comes along, government will find a way to make it unaffordable.

I guess you could look at it that way.

I don't know the history or current setup in Canada, but in the US all the major transportation projects (canals, roads, railroads, airports, etc.) have been built either directly with government funds or as part of a government guaranteed (i.e. funded) project that was then owned by private companies (railroads fit this model).

Those times in our history where the government ignored the issue or though that doing it was unconstitutional (roads in the 1800s) the result was a very inadequate system that was at the same time very expensive. Look at the mish mash of private toll roads and bridges that existed in California in the 1800s for example. The tolls charged, scaled for inflation, would be outrageous today. Private motorcar use as we know it today could not stand the costs of that older model of finance and use.

The "good roads" effort starting in the late 1800s and extending into the 20th Century was an effort to bring those costs under control and at the same time to improve the quality. And that could only be done by a government that did not have the goal of a quarterly profit driving its planning process.

In the US there was a strong feeling that the federal government was barred constitutionally from funding roads. Until, that is some bright person pointed out that good roads could improve mail delivery which is a constitutionally mandated government service. During WW1 it was found that trucking was a big help to the supply problem and then good roads were also deemed to be a national security issue.

So in the US, private construction, maintenance and ownership of roads has not been a great success. The exceptions being in a few high traffic corridors.

Roads and bridges are not cheap to build or maintain. So you are going to pay at the (private) toll booth or you are going to pay in taxes. Take your pick. If you live in a small town you better pick taxes because a private company won't see the profit in building and maintaining a road to your town.

[John Mulders]

Yep. like the Netherlands.

Roadtaxes are mostly used for funding other things.

Special tax (BPM) exists (40%) on new cars and then the 19% Vat is calculated over that new amount.

Gas prices are over 2/3 taxes

Plans to change - get rid of the Roadtaxes and BPM but introduce a new tax based on miles driven. Millions spent on that and it takes for ever to finalise (making it more expensive).

But already the politicians are reconsidering the end of the Roadtax and BPM, 'well, we could keep them aswell (next to the milage related tax) and name them environment tax'.....

There is no hiding from these clowns. In the end you will cough up the dough , one way or another.

John

[Don Jordan]

While this may not be very popular I thought of a way to fund all sorts of things:

sell a couple of B1 bombers, an aircraft carrier, and end the silly war in the desert. That should bring some needed dollars into the coffers.

Too radical?

[PatS....]

While this may not be very popular I thought of a way to fund all sorts of things:

sell a couple of B1 bombers, an aircraft carrier, and end the silly war in the desert. That should bring some needed dollars into the coffers.

Too radical?

Well, I for one wonder where the "money" comes from in the first place, but if it wasn't needed for Bush' Folly anymore, you can bet it won't be going into any "coffers" that the average Joe would ever see.