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Air-Powered Car Coming to U.S. in 2009 to 2010
Old 04-04-2008, 02:26 PM   #1
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Air-Powered Car Coming to U.S. in 2009 to 2010

Popular Mechanics - Air-Powered Car Coming to U.S. in 2009 to 2010 at Sub-$18,000, Could Hit 1000-Mile Range

Air-Powered Car Coming to U.S. in 2009 to 2010 - Zero Pollution Motors - 1000-Mile Range - Popular Mechanics

With the high price of gas and the prospects of gas going to $4 plus in the near future does anybody think that the air car can succeed in the US?

If yes, do you think $18,000 is too much to pay?

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Old 04-04-2008, 03:50 PM   #2
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That damn "market" thing is at it again! How come the government can't come up with ideas like this. And have they considered the impact on global warming?
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Old 04-04-2008, 04:45 PM   #3
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You can see one on the road in this video:


My bet is in a few years gas prices will be back down, everyone will be buying Hummers, and we'll be watching a new movie, "Who Killed the Air Car?"
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Old 04-04-2008, 05:00 PM   #4
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I guess you fill up at the air hose,eh?
I suppose I'd drive one just so I could tell the attendant to give me a (you pick your own) instead of a fill up.
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Old 04-04-2008, 05:01 PM   #5
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Ive seen those on the Science channel. Looks like an interesting idea. The ones they showed had a pretty limited speed for the air compressor motor(40 mph?). After that you would run on gas. They also talked about one day the cars motor might be used to fill the air tank which would then run the motor. You would never have fill it up.

Like the Smart car, it could be a good commuter car for city driving. But seems somewhat limited for highway use. Be interesting to see if it catches on.
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Old 04-04-2008, 05:07 PM   #6
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Unless there is a real manahattan project to find a real alternative to oil, sorry all this talk about air powered cars, biofuel etc will be nothing more than fringes. Nope gang we will probably be fighting wars for oil.
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Old 04-04-2008, 05:16 PM   #7
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Unless there is a real manahattan project to find a real alternative to oil, sorry all this talk about air powered cars, biofuel etc will be nothing more than fringes. Nope gang we will probably be fighting wars for oil.
No argument from me. Things like the air car, biofuels, conservation can help, but as world oil demand goes up and the supply doesn't, we need to be working on something better.

Unfortunately, there are no magic bullets. All our alternatives have costs and downsides. Let's not have the perfect be the enemy of the good.
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Old 04-04-2008, 05:32 PM   #8
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A custom heating chamber heats the air in a process officials refused to elaborate upon, though they insisted it would increase volume and thus the car’s range and speed. (quote)


Sounds to me as though they are spewing a lot of hot air.
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Old 04-04-2008, 05:33 PM   #9
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What we really need is a "hot air" powered vehicle. Talk about limitless supply...
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Old 04-04-2008, 05:38 PM   #10
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What we really need is a "hot air" powered vehicle. Talk about limitless supply...
We already have "hot air" powered politicians. What more do we want?
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Old 04-04-2008, 06:13 PM   #11
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What we really need is a "hot air" powered vehicle. Talk about limitless supply...
These cars would work great in Washington!!

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Old 04-04-2008, 06:46 PM   #12
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These cars would work great in Washington!!

R
What about the rest of us who live outside the D.C area?

Would anybody be open to a HEMP Mobile? Similar to the HEMP powered bus that the GREAT Willie Nelson uses.

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Old 04-04-2008, 08:43 PM   #13
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What about the rest of us who live outside the D.C area?

Would anybody be open to a HEMP Mobile? Similar to the HEMP powered bus that the GREAT Willie Nelson uses.

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You're slipping Wags.

They already have one of those.

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Old 04-04-2008, 10:01 PM   #14
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So are there any numbers on how much energy it takes to compress the air?

I've talked to some mechanical engineers about these air storage methods (it is *not* a new idea), and they say it is a pretty inefficient process. In other words, you are probably better off burning oil to propel a car (like we do today), than burning oil or coal to generate electricity, distribute it to an electric motor that runs an air compressor, put that compressed air into your car, and then use that to propel an 'air motor' in the car.

There is no free lunch.

Regardless, I think this could be a good technology to replace small engines that don't have good pollution controls. Things like lawnmowers, chain saws, etc. Those little engines create a high % of the total pollution, because they have so few controls. I'd love an air powered lawnmower, just pump it up overnight, no gas to store and burn.

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Old 04-04-2008, 10:11 PM   #15
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Reminds me of the "water power" vehicles, same faulty logic about more power to do the electrolysis than you get out of it.
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Old 04-05-2008, 07:16 AM   #16
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So are there any numbers on how much energy it takes to compress the air?

I've talked to some mechanical engineers about these air storage methods (it is *not* a new idea), and they say it is a pretty inefficient process. In other words, you are probably better off burning oil to propel a car (like we do today), than burning oil or coal to generate electricity, distribute it to an electric motor that runs an air compressor, put that compressed air into your car, and then use that to propel an 'air motor' in the car.

There is no free lunch.

Regardless, I think this could be a good technology to replace small engines that don't have good pollution controls. Things like lawnmowers, chain saws, etc. Those little engines create a high % of the total pollution, because they have so few controls. I'd love an air powered lawnmower, just pump it up overnight, no gas to store and burn.

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Found this link to some interesting info on air powered cars.

Pneumatic Options Research Library: Home Page
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Old 04-05-2008, 10:32 AM   #17
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Found this link to some interesting info on air powered cars.

Pneumatic Options Research Library: Home Page
Interesting yes, but a lot of smoke and mirrors.

Anytime someone uses the word 'patent' and 'secret' in the same sentence, it sets off alarm bells for me. Patents are made public, there are no 'secrets' when you patent something.

If I followed him, he's trying to say that compressed air is 'solar power' because the sun compressed the air on our planet (I thought that was gravity?). But you can't do any work with atmospheric air - just like any energy source, you need a *difference* in energy potential to turn it into work.

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Old 04-05-2008, 12:23 PM   #18
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The air powered car is a great solution for lowering our dependance on foreign oil.
However, uses are limited and it is a horid solution in terms of efficiency.
Yes, the car itself is very 'clean', however the energy to compress the air is not cheap. Batteries are far more efficient.
I do look forward to seeing an air powered highway capable car (I just don't think I will)
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Old 04-05-2008, 01:21 PM   #19
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The air powered car is a great solution for lowering our dependance on foreign oil.
Only if it is more efficient or cost effective than all electric cars, or flywheel cars, or hydrogen cars (hydrogen is just another storage medium ).

You need energy to charge up the air tank or to charge up the batteries. That energy could come from coal, nukes, renewables, etc. That would lower our oil consumption.

The guys at Tesla Motors are no dummies. I tend to think that if an air tank worked better than a battery pack, the Tesla would be air powered. But it is not.

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Old 04-05-2008, 01:32 PM   #20
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Hmmm...with Al's custom made piano seat and some costco size cans of beans, I think we might have something...
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