The Air Car

[RangerRick]

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.

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!

If you'd like one of these little jewels big auto/oil won't allow them in the USA so you'll have to move to India. Money is power and your money is owned by government power brokers.

http://i32.tinypic.com/s1s0i8.jpg

http://i30.tinypic.com/20auvkn.jpg

The Air Car will be starting production relatively soon, thanks t o 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?

Ranger Rick

[OzarkMtnDaredevil]

That's cool, Rick. Got a link to a story?
Also, can they make it look like a 3/4 Ton, 4x4 Suburban and paint it Fire Engine Red? 8)

[CarolAnn]

Rick, that is AWESOME!

Thanks so much for posting it! I googled on a couple of words in what you posted and found this:

http://www.fashionfunky.com/2008/02/tata_air_car_coming_to_usa_by.php

Now if I could just harness the yakking of a carload of me and my friends, we'd NEVER need to refuel! *;D

Fun aside, I want one, and it doesn't have to be the big CityCat. The OneCat would suit me just fine.

[stilltryinat50]

That is so cool....would love to have one also. lol carolAnn...would be a good idea here also.. ;)

[Buck]

Sadly, the air car doesn't meet any of the U.S. safety standards
for vehicles. THAT is why they will not be seen on American soil
until they do.

[MooseToo]

very neat looking engine - but that serpentine will probably run about $1200 to replace - that's 15,000 rupees -

[CarolAnn]

You know, we may just need to change our standards. Since the gas prices have jumped, two of the 22 employees in our office have sustained broken bones from riding bicycles; one broke one elbow and the other wrist, and the other guy broke his collarbone - and these two are just this year. Both of these people would have been safer with even the city cat body around them.

I wouldn't want to take a CityCat (OR bicycle - or scooter, for that matter) - onto a highway with trucks and SUVs. But for in-town driving, it looks like a better choice to me!

[chrisser]

I've believed for awhile that we need to have tiered drivers licenses and registration.

There are some people who are fine on normal roads, but just don't know enough about highway safety to drive well on the interstates. There are also some vehicles that don't belong there, either because they don't perform well enough or they aren't maintained properly.

Not every person and every vehicle needs the ability to do 65+mph safely - why have a one size fits all approach?

I'd like to see special license plates and license required for driving on the freeway. You would need to demonstrate knowledge of all laws (especially rights of way, yielding, and lane usage) and would have to demonstrate certain skills such as high-speed recovery, accident avoidance, proper lane change procedure, etc. Your vehicle would also have to be inspected for both its ability and state of maintenance.

With a system like this, we could have lighter and less competent vehicles that were cheaper and more fuel efficient that were just fine for driving around town - they'd just need to stay there and not on the interstates. Those using the interstates would have to demonstrate their ability and have a vehicle capable of doing so safely.

May or may not work everywhere, but I think it has some merit.

[walls0stone]

since we let horse and buggy on the highway, with out signals... and we give those folks a pass, why not just licence all cars? If your on a bike or a back street, what's the Diff?

I think layers is rather complicated, just make life harder. You think the line at the DMV is bad now...just add more levels and you'll all know what it's like to have a CDL.

I think todays info on offshore drilling will change all this, Just in time for the elections.

[chrisser]

since we let horse and buggy on the highway, with out signals... and we give those folks a pass, why not just licence all cars? *If your on a bike or a back street, what's the Diff?

I think layers is rather complicated, just make life harder. *You think the line at the DMV is bad now...just add more levels and you'll all know what it's like to have a CDL. *

I think todays info on offshore drilling will change all this, Just in time for the elections. *

I'm talking interstates. Limited access multi-lane freeways which already have vehicle restrictions (no horses/buggies, no vehicles under a certain HP, etc.).

So long as all vehicles manufactured in this country have to be interstate-capable, there will be an entire level of vehicle fuel economy that cannot be reached since any vehicle capable of driving to the store at 35mph must also be able to do 65mph+ with commensurate safety (weight) and acceleration (gasoline usage).

If we're serious about saving energy, then a few minutes' line at the DMV shouldn't be a big deal.

[MooseToo]

and this new instance of federal govt control can find its authority just WHERE in the constitution ?

the market works if we let the market work -