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Posted by: partwerks Jan 25 2012, 07:57 PM

http://www.caradvice.com.au/141944/tata-motors-mini-cat-air-car-to-debut-in-2012/

Posted by: Elliot Cannon Jan 25 2012, 08:01 PM

Does it sound like an impact wrench when it drives away.

Posted by: Tom_T Jan 25 2012, 08:08 PM

Well now, that opens up all of the old jokes about powering a car with someone's hot air &/or noxious emissions!

Actually - if the estimates of performance are accurate, & if it can power a larger vehicle & the tanks can be scaled up for longer trips, it may be a better alternative than either EVs or hydrogen fuel cells vehicles with a quick tank refill & easy home "refilling/recharging"!

Posted by: BMITCHELL Jan 25 2012, 08:08 PM

Wow. That's scary. What would happen if the car got hit and ruptured the tank of compressed air at over 4000psi. I imagine a quick 1 second ride to 100mph

Posted by: ThePaintedMan Jan 25 2012, 08:28 PM

I included this car in a research project I was working on. Truly amazing. If you like in a high-density/urban area, it would be perfect. They're light, and almost completely gutted on the inside, but very functional. Kinda sounds like a real quiet 2-stroke boat motor idling. And the tanks run underneath the car, along the centerline. Doubt it would be anymore dangerous than driving a friggin H2 anywhere... or being anywhere near an H2 for that matter.

Posted by: RickS Jan 25 2012, 08:48 PM

Being a scuba diver who was taught about the dangers of breaking off top of the tank piece which connects to the regulator - and hearing about tanks flying city blocks which were dropped - that car sounds a little scary. But it could be an exhilerating death.

Posted by: 76-914 Jan 25 2012, 09:12 PM

And with 0 to -30C exhaust temps I see A/C as a byproduct; just as heat is a free byproduct from combustion engines.

Posted by: mrholland2 Jan 25 2012, 10:11 PM

This "air car" concept was discussed about 5 years ago with much more normal looking vehicles. They, at the time (whatever company) were seeking areas to "micro manufacture" and no one stepped up to the plate.

I thought Weed CA or Dunsmuir CA would be ideal .. both on major rail lines, both on I-5 and halfway between Portland and San Fran, both hot beds of tree hugging (I say that in a positive way).

But, alas, nothing came of it.

Posted by: mrholland2 Jan 25 2012, 10:12 PM

http://www.gizmag.com/compressed-air-car-set-for-us-launch-in-2010/8896/

That is the previous story.

Posted by: rick 918-S Jan 25 2012, 10:40 PM

I like the concept but hate the look of that thing. 4000+ PSI

Posted by: Elliot Cannon Jan 25 2012, 10:42 PM

Hmmm lets see. Small mini bike. Small S C U B A botttle. Pneumatic drill. First stage of a 2 stage S C U B A regulator (about 120 psi). Sounds like a great project. OK. Where's my pencil?

Posted by: plymouth37 Jan 25 2012, 11:15 PM

Posts like this are why I love this club!

Posted by: Mikey914 Jan 25 2012, 11:29 PM

Even more fun, there was a version that used freon. I wonder what that would have done for global warming?

http://books.google.com/books?id=5gxIBYlChPwC&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=freon+powered+car&source=bl&ots=xGtVpL73ta&sig=joPNEYmDj6DENR7SQVwQL-cLmn0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GOIgT7naFcLs2AXXsuXMCQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=freon%20powered%20car&f=false

Here's another good one -
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1951&dat=19790701&id=iB4qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CYgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2820,129205

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Jan 28 2012, 04:42 PM

I have seen compressed air powered forklifts ans heard of prototypes for cars. Makes sense. Kids toys have been doing it for 100 years or so.

If they can make the range work, I don't see how this would be any more dangerous then hydrogen power or even conventional gas tanks.

Posted by: struckn Jan 28 2012, 07:25 PM

Seriuosly they need to change the Name of the Company and the Car, cause all I keep thinking about is Breasts and Pussy.

Posted by: strawman Jan 29 2012, 12:24 AM

The TATA brand is huge in India -- they make everything from buses to trucks to little cars. I saw 'em crawling all over Delhi and Ahmedabad. In fact, their $2500 car scares the bejesus belt offa me; if that thing can indeed become commercially viable, say goodbye to cheap (relatively speaking!) gasoline as it will make car ownership possible for many of the billion or so Indians that live on our planet. I really enjoyed my brief stay in India, but I cannot imagine worse traffic or air quality than I experienced there...