NOW THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE EVERYTHING. THE AIR CAR.

Rocket_Ronny · « **on:** 22 Nov 2010, 09:03 pm »

When you most need a revolution, you get one.

Enter the Air Car that runs on compressed air, goes 200 miles on a fill, top speed 65 miles per hour, and is going into producton soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztFDqcu8oJ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm8RCww3cUY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVIwropRMME&feature=related

Now, when someone tells you that you are just blowing hot air you can say exactly!

Rocket_full of it_Ronny

owenmd · « **Reply #1 on:** 22 Nov 2010, 09:49 pm »

This is great,

However, the technology has been around for the last 50 years to create VERY significantly more economical and environmentally friendly propulsion systems. To date, ALL of these have been quashed by WHATEVER means necessary by those whose pockets would suffer...!

I sure hope this makes it.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #2 on:** 22 Nov 2010, 10:58 pm »

Nice to say it is FREE (bullshit!) to fill up your car. Yeah, air is free, but what about the infrastructure to compress the air? And the power necessary to compress it?

bpape · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 Nov 2010, 11:07 pm »

Still less infrastructure and energy than drilling for oil, refining it, transporting it, and dispensing it. Yes there is an energy cost to compress the air but in terms of storage, it's much cheaper, much cleaner, and zero emissions from use of the fuel.

Bryan

thunderbrick · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 Nov 2010, 11:22 pm »

Agreed, Bryan, agreed. I am just taking issue with the term "free" being tossed around as a simple promise.

bpape · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 Nov 2010, 11:32 pm »

The biggest issue with a lot of these types of things is that they depend on 'lightweight vehicles' that would never pass our safety and crash standards, much less have the space for a family of 4, forget hauling anything. Around town, they'd be great.

Bryan

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 02:23 am »

While those vehicles won't pass our safety standards they would fly in third world countries like India, thus taking down the overall demand for oil. This would help us out a lot.

Rocket_Ronny

Phil A · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 02:39 am »

I understand cars have safety standards. But it certainly appears to give one more protection than a motorcycle. So I wonder if it good be classified as a new kind of vehicle? Just a thought

jules · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 02:52 am »

In energy terms this looks very inefficient ...

To power the compressor will require electrical power, most probably generated by coal. The efficiency of the engine used [which appears to be a piston engine] will be very low. The claim that energy in = energy out is just wrong. The air compressor would also be of very low efficiency.

Without seeing authenticated figures on overall efficiency, right from the primary source of the energy [power station] it would look likely that any small car of a similar weight stands a reasonable chance of being more efficient using say electricity via batteries. If the compressor is pedal powered I take it all back.

jules

JohnR · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 02:54 am »

That's disappointing. I thought it was going to be one of these:

jules · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 02:55 am »

Actually, I'm wondering if it's an elaborate joke, given the designer claims to have the same birthday as Jules Verne

All the inventor really needs to do to judge the cost of running the thing is to look at his power bill and strangely that didn't get a mention.

Jules

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 05:21 am »

If they are saying it's going to cost around a couple dollars to fill a tank that goes 200 kms, and that would be from a air retailer, then the cost for electricity is low.

Rocket_Ronny

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 07:10 am »

Looks like air might not be that inefficient, Jules. I see Cadillac's new show car "Aera, which is air powered, is purported to travel 1000 miles (1600km) per fill of its 10,000 psi composite tank.

http://paultan.org/2010/11/22/the-cadillac-aera-concept-bubbly-it-is/

it utilizes what is described as a "highly efficient" pneumatic drive system (PDS): http://tinyurl.com/2cgo85w

And Volvo also has an air powered car in the works:

http://paultan.org/2010/11/18/volvo-air-motion-concept-the-smallest-offering-at-la-show/

...so there must be something to this.

django11 · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 12:13 pm »

Volvo gets kind of close :
"To compress the air needed for the centrally mounted air tank, Air Replenishment Sites, with air turbines floating 1,000ft in the air, harness the power of the wind and convert it to electricity to provide the vehicle’s compression."

Quote from: JohnR on 23 Nov 2010, 02:54 am

That's disappointing. I thought it was going to be one of these:

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 05:01 pm »

Quote from: django11 on 23 Nov 2010, 12:13 pm

Volvo gets kind of close :
"To compress the air needed for the centrally mounted air tank, Air Replenishment Sites, with air turbines floating 1,000ft in the air, harness the power of the wind and convert it to electricity to provide the vehicle’s compression."

You're right, that's ridiculous - I hadn't read all the copy, I just presumed Volvo would be more grounded. Here are a few more un-grounded concepts triggered presumably by the same design criteria:
http://tinyurl.com/28uambg

turkey · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 06:31 pm »

Quote from: bpape on 22 Nov 2010, 11:32 pm

The biggest issue with a lot of these types of things is that they depend on 'lightweight vehicles' that would never pass our safety and crash standards, much less have the space for a family of 4, forget hauling anything. Around town, they'd be great.

Or maybe not. There's some good info here on the Hypercar. It could be very lightweight, but still very safe, crashworthy, and able to carry cargo (human or otherwise). http://www.rmi.org/?UrlName=Library&Cat1=Transportation&Cat2=Hypercars&CatType=sharepoint

turkey · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 06:33 pm »

Quote from: Rocket_Ronny on 22 Nov 2010, 09:03 pm

Enter the Air Car that runs on compressed air, goes 200 miles on a fill, top speed 65 miles per hour, and is going into producton soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztFDqcu8oJ4

It sounded pretty good until they went off into cloud cuckoo land with the perpetual motion thing.

After hearing that, I have to question whether anything they said was legit.

jtwrace · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 06:38 pm »

I see this as a game changer....

http://www.terrafugia.com/

But I love cars & planes

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #18 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 06:48 pm »

Every car/boat or car/plane I've seen has been so compromised in the attempt that it is a terrible car, boat or plane!
Frankly, this is extremely compromised as a road vehicle, wouldn't you say?

I love cars and planes, too - and boats, for that matter!

jtwrace · « **Reply #19 on:** 23 Nov 2010, 07:09 pm »

Quote from: Russell Dawkins on 23 Nov 2010, 06:48 pm

Every car/boat or car/plane I've seen has been so compromised in the attempt that it is a terrible car, boat or plane!
Frankly, this is extremely compromised as a road vehicle, wouldn't you say?

I love cars and planes, too - and boats, for that matter!

It's not my ideal car but to be able to fly somewhere for this cost and be able to drive is pretty cool IMO. Sure a Cessna 172 is less expensive and you can rent a car but this is different "cool" factor.