Indian car maker Tata has constructed a prototype air-powered car, that as well as looking like a massive robot ladybird might just be the next big thing in clean energy.
The company, which built the 'world's cheapest car' and then covered it in gems and also makes terrifying war vehicles completed testing on two vehicles that are powered by compressed air back in May. A joint-venture with MDI, the prototype-stage 'AirPod' cars apparently cost just €1 per 200km, or £0.00631899077 per mile.
Despite looking like the worm car from the Busy World of Richard Scarry, the experimental automobiles are no slouch in the speed department, clocking a speed in the vicinity of 70km/h. I wouldn't attempt a speedy corner in one if I were you, though.
The cars seat three people, which is rather impressive for its small size, but won't win you any style points if you try cruising around town in it. Unfortunately, despite being surrounded by the substance that powers its motors, you'll still need to pull into an air-pumping station to fill it up.
Compressed-air power is still relatively unproven, and not without disadvantages (thanks Wikipedia). For example the compressed air must be completely dehydrated, and the energy conversion involved can be an inefficient process.
Still, I can't fault progress on any tech that could reduce our dependence on non-renewable fuels. Motor-makers are slowly moving toward more environmentally friendly vehicles, with VW mocking up a concept electric Beetle and the Nissan Leaf proving a fabulous -- if pricey -- electric motor.
Meanwhile the Tesla Roadster is doing its best to prove that non-petrol-guzzling motors can still look a bit like the Batmobile.
Fingers crossed Tata can make progress on its air-powered car, but in the meantime DMC is beavering away on the electric DeLorean, which boasts 35kW of power and doesn't even require a Flux capacitor to make it go. Check out the video below.
Would you drive Tata's mecha-ladybird air-powered car? Is air-power the future or should we focus on the electric variety? Let me know in the comments or on our Facebook wall.
Image credit: Discovery News
Additional reporting by Rory Smith
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Comments 35
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anonymous 16 August, 2012 21:17
this is exactly why most people don't take new green technologies seriously, because not even the manufacturers take them seriously! Instead of making a 'green' car which look stupid and is made of colourful plastic, take the task seriously and try and make a proper car that people will actually buy. Wasting time making prototypes of stupid cars that no-one will want to buy will do nothing to help the planet.
anonymous 16 August, 2012 22:46
what's the point of using compressed air. the energy lost in using air as an energy CARRIER is pointless so inefficient. ask yourself how does the air get become compressed in the first place?
Jay Khan 16 August, 2012 23:23
this is exactly why most people don't take new green technologies seriously, because not even the manufacturers take them seriously! Instead of making a 'green' car which look stupid and is made of colourful plastic, take the task seriously and try and make a proper car that people will actually buy. Wasting time making prototypes of stupid cars that no-one will want to buy will do nothing to help the planet.
Agreed
anonymous 17 August, 2012 04:48
I would like to test out the ladybird car, just send it and i will trial it=)
Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj 17 August, 2012 11:18
Simple and way than electric or hybrid if the technology work... Fantastic idea!
anonymous 17 August, 2012 12:32
It's the juxtaposition between something silly -- like looking like a ladybird -- and something serious -- like saving the world -- that makes this headline so hysterical.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
anonymous 17 August, 2012 12:35
Funny as it is... I had this idea like 5 years ago. just didnt have the resources to make it a reality.
anonymous 17 August, 2012 14:17
In the end I know i would choose this over something that goes over 200km/h and then find myself and others in hospital with limbs missing and paralysed for life.. if you want to moch company for making it.. then why dont you think about moching those that drink and drive and kill other people? I would rather travel at 50 to 70lm/h to get somewhere instead of finding myself in a hospital bed.
To CNet I do i have to prove i am human to you? because I already know i am human.. other wise i would not be writing these individual words, would I???? pretty logical dont you think?
anonymous 17 August, 2012 14:31
LOL At the title. But this is remarkable. Think of the almost limitless source of energy.
anonymous 17 August, 2012 15:01
I would test it out, why not? I don't care how silly I look driving it....at least I am saving money and the planet!
anonymous 17 August, 2012 15:10
When will there be an affordable energy-efficient car capable of holding the driver and her motorized wheelchair. Make that a car which is easy to access and exit.
anonymous 17 August, 2012 15:43
MDI has been talking about and even demonstrating versions of this car since before the millennium. After years of hype about how air cars would not only help save the planet, but also save capitalism (through their "new model" of distributed, local manufacturing), demonstrations of some fairly mature prototypes were very disappointing, in terms of both styling and performance. Compressed air is very hard to deal with and, as observed in other comments here, only a carrier of energy, like a battery. Interestingly enough, the most vigorous cycle of MDI hype began about the same time that Tesla was promising to deliver their Roadster. Both the air-car and the battery-powered sports car received numerous jeers during their developmental phases. When Tesla's car was done, however, it was fast, zippy, and fun to drive and looked sexy. When MDI's car was done, it was slow, sluggish, and looked very eccentric (and not in a good way). Engineers can admire what air-car inventor Guy Negre did with the engine: it's pretty slick as an engineering achievement. But it doesn't seem like a practical vehicle technology. I guess we'll see how Tata's version turns out.
anonymous 17 August, 2012 16:59
it would be nice to see a car that looks nice as well as saves the planet, also some idea of its range, price and availability would be essential.
can you power it from a footpump?
anonymous 17 August, 2012 17:03
The French made one a few years back. Compressed air requires compressors which require electricity, which require nuclear, coal, gas or hyrdro generation. So the environmental advantage is somewhat swallowed up (and the range is pretty limited).
anonymous 17 August, 2012 17:16
How much does it cost to produce the compressed air?
anonymous 17 August, 2012 19:55
One point of using air over electric is that there are no batteries to dispose. The idea of an on-board compressor and being able to plug it into your garage would be great.
anonymous 17 August, 2012 20:11
I want one. How much does it cost? When can I get it in the U.S.?
anonymous 17 August, 2012 20:17
"To CNet I do i have to prove i am human to you? because I already know i am human.. other wise i would not be writing these individual words, would I???? pretty logical dont you think?"
Of course you know you are human, but how do they? They do this so a bot doesn't type up a bunch of comments
anonymous 18 August, 2012 00:26
Air power? Why not torsional/spring power? Or hydropneumatic? There's loads of old patents just waiting to be dusted off and used.
The best thing we could do right now though would be to nationalize the hydrocarbon industries. This would provide a revenue stream that could go into finding better replacement technology and reduce the incessant drumbeats from the war machines (who are the largest consumers of fuel in the USA).
After nationalization we could begin to build a hydrogen fueling network. Ordinary gasoline cars can be converted to run on Hydrogen and over time we can perfect fuel cells. Power to get the hydrogen could come from either hydroelectric generating stations (during off peak hours) or from thorium based power plants (Again, old tech).
But, buy the bubble car if you must, just don't get your life/injury insurance from the company I insure with
Ken Sampson 18 August, 2012 00:50
Given that Hydrogen is very unstable, it may not be a great alternative fuel - heard of the "H" bomb? Hindenburg? Not sure I want one parked in my garage. This is an easy to park, short range vehicle that makes a lot of sense for city dwellers, or a second car in suburbia.
anonymous 20 August, 2012 02:57
I don't know about it's efficiency statistics, but compressed air is one of the ideas being considered for how to store energy from green sources of energy: eg wind and solar need a way to be stored, not just fed into the grid. so if it's stored as compressed air, then loaded into a compressed air car, it could be VERY efficient
anonymous 20 August, 2012 13:31
This is stupid--ragardless of the design. A WIND-UP SPRING POWERED CAR WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT!
anonymous 20 August, 2012 16:24
????? ?????? ?????
anonymous 20 August, 2012 17:22
@Ken Sampson
hydrogen is not particualy 'unstable' as such, as the word unstable suggests it may spontaneously decay, i think the word you may be looking for is 'flammable'.
Also, your references to the H-bomb are irrellevant, as a H-bomb is more than just hydrogen explosively igniting, it works by using the fission energy of uranium to cause fusion in hydrogen isotopes - in short, this is never going to accidentally happen in the fuel tank of your hydrogen powered car.
But, most importantly, you are currently perfectly happy driving around in a car powered by highly flammable petrol, which provides almost as much of a fire risk as hydrogen so I seen no reason why a hydrogen powered car should be any different.
hope your enjoyed your science lesson ;D
anonymous 29 August, 2012 10:29
at what temperature is the compression managed?
I am worried about the amount of hot air being emitted in this tread ;)
anonymous 3 November, 2012 21:56
its crazy but i have an idea which would mean you would never have to charge your electric car again but unfortnatetly i i am unable to get my hands on an electric car to test it i have tried asking electric car manufacturers to let me have an old experimental one to use i would even give a percentage of the value of it, just imagine being able to drive anywhere in an electric car never having to charge it no more smelly petrol/diesel fumes no car tax that would stop the strangle hold the oil companies have on the world.
anonymous 16 November, 2012 20:23
i love it , though where would u find a air pumping station
anonymous 29 December, 2012 13:32
It's a non starter. Not much worse than a full electric car though.
anonymous 29 December, 2012 14:45
It's great, and doesn't look any dafter than a smart car! Hybrids are a waste of time and money, they have not been perfected yet and electric car batteries cost a fortune when they need replacing (they reckon up to £8,000!) so who in their right mind is going to buy your Toyota Prius off you? We need to explore any and all alternatives to what we've got now, so carry on the good work TATA!
anonymous 29 January, 2013 00:01
In the 1970s ford showcased a new type of carburettor (SP?) that was recorded at over 200mpg in a current model from that decade.
From what i read the main or perhaps only real difference was that it warmed the petrol into a vapour and then injected that rather than a mist of liquid into the chambers which apparently meant that practically 100% of the fuel ignited far more easily and efficienly as opposed to large percentages of fuel being passed out of the exhaust with current methods based around petrol liquid being sprayed
Despite being reported at the time and there being a US patent for this and several other similar items none seem to have ever made it anywhere near a production car
As for the "oil companies grip on the world" as many people still talk about, oil is soooo last century, The people amassing exclusive rights to water are the ones to watch as thats the absolute only comodity that is truly essential and has absolutely no alternative.
anonymous 8 February, 2013 06:36
Hey, I've just invented a car that runs on potatoes and gets 100km per potato. Any interested investors?
anonymous 8 February, 2013 12:43
To those who claim that this new alternative will still use conventional fuel resources to fill up tanks with compress air, don't forget that solar power tech has achieved better efficiency and today can move the air compressor need to fill up this car's tank. So it is a complete green solution. Its use in electricity generating units is another big plus in the search of efficient green communities.
I’m so impress that I want to use this technology in combination with solar cells in the first High productivity Aquaponics Vertical Farm that can increase over 15 time the production of organic vegetables per hectare of traditional agriculture and simultaneously a significant increase of tilapia (fish) production in a totally green and ecological way using less than 4% of water with traditional agriculture.
anonymous 22 March, 2013 05:28
this is crazy i have seen an air car that looks like a proper car - why is this thing given as the only example of an air car ???
i agree with anon - take it seriously the world is waiting .....
anonymous 8 April, 2013 13:39
Free gas!!! I would be sneaky and fill it up when I check my tyres. Who's hogging the tyre gauge, Lol.
anonymous 9 April, 2013 08:11
FOR THOSE WHO SAYS COMPRESSED AIR DOESN'T AND IT NEEDS ELECTRIC, NUCLEAR OR WHAT SO EVER YOU CALLED IT, YOU SUCKS, THAT ONLY PROVES THAT PEOPLE OF YOUR KIND DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT TECHNOLOGY... ARE YOU A SCIENTIST? IT SEEMS YOU ALL KNOW EVERYTHING EVEN IT IS NOT... YOU SUCKS... LET THEM SHOW IT TO THE PUBLIC FIRST AND PROVE IT