A car powered by air?
September 17, 2008 by Editor
For years the public has fantasized about cars that run on water. Thanks to a French invention, the future may now include cars that run on air.
In the Air Car, compressed air, stored in a reinforced tank, is released slowly to propel pistons, much like in a steam engine, in a super lightweight car of composite materials. Since air expands when heated, an on-board gas engine will heat the air, thereby extending the range and power of the stored air. According to the developers of this concept, this heating process will not only allow the car to reach 95 miles per hour, but also extend the car’s range to 800 miles, with minimal emissions.
Although still consuming gasoline, diesel or a biofuel, the company estimates the vehicle would get 106 miles to the gallon, far better than existing or proposed hybrids. But, at citywide speeds of 35 miles per hour or less, it could operate almost entirely on air, with the fuel-powered engine kicking in at higher speeds or for longer distances. [Visit PlanetWatch.org to read more.]
That’s pretty cool, really. But i’ve read about these cars before and it was said that it takes 4 hours to refill the tank and the top speed is just about 50 mph. Electromobiles seem to be better