Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Euro, Green, Plants/Manufacturing
Compressed air car on track for production this year
by Dan Roth on Jan 8th 2008 at 9:03AM 
Guy Negre's compressed air vision has crossed our desks before. The vehicle, which uses a motor powered by 4,000 psi of compressed air stored in carbon fiber tanks, will actually start production in India soon – after 15 years in development – thanks to some help from India's biggest automaker, Tata, which itself just unveiled the world's least expensive car called the Nano. The MDI Citycat and Minicat are built from lightweight materials and offer large passenger and luggage space with zero emissions motoring. The energy required to refill the compressed air tanks reportedly costs about $2, and there are optional propulsion units to extend the roughly 90-mile (at speeds of 40mph or below) range of the vehicle so you aren't stuck if your air car runs out of breath.
We wonder if the MDI Citycat and Minicat might actually increase the demand for compressed air. We can just imagine someone finding a way to make money selling high-octane squeezed atmosphere. Regardless, 100 miles of zero emissions sounds good to us, and MDI is also considering setting up local factories in various markets to virtually eliminate transport costs and pollution, too. With Tata's large resources and the insatiable demand of the burgeoning Indian market, these clever cars stand a good chance of success.
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Leroy 9:25AM (1/08/2008)
It's good to see urban transportation advances like this coming from countries like India.
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Brian Erdelyi 10:07AM (1/08/2008)
It may be coming from India because of potentially low safety standards. What happens when one of these bad boys are in an accident and the compressed air tank ruptures? Will it be like a balloon flying uncontrollably around a room bouncing off the walls?
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Mike K 10:21AM (1/08/2008)
SCUBA tanks run at 3000 psi and they are pretty safe. They get banged around and tossed onto boats and in car trunks without problem. Of course they are and should be inspected everytime they are filled.
So assuming that the carbon fiber tanks are protected it shouldn't be to dangerous, at least not as dangerous as carrying 100+ lbs of gasoline around under your car.
Richard 11:10AM (1/08/2008)
Yeah!
What do you think happens when said tank at 2 or 3k PSI gets its valve chopped off by an F150 whose driver didn't leave enough distance between himself and the highly-pressured vehicle ahead.
BANG!
This is not a good idea...at least for here in Urban America.
Andrew 11:45AM (1/08/2008)
The tanks are under the body, built into a chassis. From what it looks like, it's pretty safe.
How many Ford F150s do you see driving around in the city? I drive through downtown Chicago every day, if there are trucks, they aren't moving fast.
Brian 12:06PM (1/08/2008)
Collisions happen with all makes and models of cars. Have you seen how they drive in India? I think they may have a high rate of collisions.
To what degree are these air tanks vulnerable to exploding? What amount of force and what type of impact is required to trigger it? I'll assume an impact at the stated high speeds may be enough (never mind that a heavy truck may be traveling faster when it hits one).
Attempts to reinforce the tank will likely result in increased weight further reducing the efficiency of such a car.
I recall an episode of MythBusters where they knock the valve off an air cylinder causing it to rocket through a wall. Gasoline may be flammable but it's not under pressure and I wouldn't want to be near one of these cars when the tank ruptures. Maybe this is an acceptable risk for a country who's citizen's dangle from trains as they travel the countryside.
I don't want to poo-poo all over the concept. But I'd like to know what kind of damage can be caused by a ruptured tank and what is done to reduce it.
Mark 1:16PM (1/09/2008)
These cf tanks crack length wise and split rather than popping, the really safety feature. I saw this on some discovery science show about MDI
steve 8:36AM (1/12/2008)
the carbon fiber tank is so strong and also flexible that it will just make a crack and the air will come out and they will also have safety censors so you don't over load them with pressure. Do some reserch on Carbon fiber. It's a great material.
devassocx 3:21AM (1/15/2008)
article says tanks are made of carbon fibre...so they will
likely just shred if ruptured...not a big deal.
JS 10:30AM (1/08/2008)
I use a 4500psi CF tank to play paintball. Never a single problem but they do have about a 3-5yr life span before they need to be hydro tested again. Plus, the fuel cost to run the generators to compress the air does make these cars not 100% pollution free...but certainly better than 18mpg we might see in some other cars out there.
One question I did have, though, was how does it maintain a charge on the electrical system? Am I to believe there is still an alternator in these cars with psi propulsion. Honestly i'm envisioning a scuba tank with the top knocked off moving these cars...sorta like twin "air jets" haha!
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caddy dave 3:52PM (1/08/2008)
Tell ya what. Take one of those air small air cylinder bottles, put it in a vise, hit it with a 9 pound sledgehammer and report back to us with the results.
Den 1:41PM (1/12/2008)
I'm just wondering if it does have a normal electrical system...why not have an onboard electrical (AC) inverter that would run a small air compressor that never allows the air tanks to get low on air. Basically the same principal that fills tanks on trucks with air brakes. Kind of like the chicken and the egg theory.
jgp 10:40AM (1/08/2008)
Is this like the Dandy Lion SX?
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Shawn 10:44AM (1/08/2008)
Can you imagine this thing in India...in the summer...no A/C...all those spicy foods...
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Paul H. 9:20AM (1/12/2008)
That is a good one my friend.
jamie 11:02AM (1/08/2008)
I used to fill up my bicycle tires with FREE air at the local gas station. A little over a year ago they put in a coin-op compressor that originally charged 25 cents. Within a few months the price rose to 50 cents. And now a few months later they charge 75 cents.
No wonder the oil companies are making such outrageous profits! :)
Better invest in air compressors...there are millions of bicycle tires in Indian and China that don't have a clue of the monumental changes that will soon be afoot.
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Ev 9:45AM (1/12/2008)
Jamie, Do you just bike or do you own a car too? Ev
Ev 9:50AM (1/12/2008)
Jamie, Do you just bike or do you own a car too? Ev
jamie 7:54PM (1/13/2008)
I bike around UCI campus and to my apartment.
But for hitting the Fastlane in LaLaLand I rev up my VW Beetle convertible! :)
Speddy 11:16AM (1/08/2008)
Are there dryers inline? I would imagine that any air pulled in (except near arid locale) will have high moisture and any metal parts will rust.
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