Want!!!

[madamesilverspurs]

Recently, Electric cars have caught the eye of manufacturers and investors who have started working towards this technology more aggressively. The drawback, currently, is that electric cars are too costly. But now comes a technology that might just change all that. A little car known as Airpod is the first commercial project of this technology; technology that runs the car on compressed air! Which means there will be zero percent emission level. And yes, it is cheap.



Airpod’s technology was originally created in France at Motor Development International, but after some time, it was bought by Tata Motors (an Indian car manufacturer). This technology is so far the most environmentally and economically friendly. Airpod’s tank holds about 175 liters of compressed air that can be filled at special stations (which are right now not available in many countries) or by activating the on-board electric motor to suck air in from the outside. The total cost of the car is $10,000 and it takes just a few pennies to refill the car cylinder or you can use the on-board electric motor pump. Right now, the car has no steering, rather it just has a joystick to control its movements. But in the future, design and the control will be worked on. Check out this short documentary by CNN on this technology.

http://realitypod.com/2012/09/the-tiny-car-that-runs-on-air/


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[NightWatcher]

1. we are inching towards a flatulence powered automobile

[KansDem]

29. Well, we have the SmartCar...

...maybe it's time to move on to the FartCar.

[roguevalley]

42. RahahahahtrjaodgngoewrtweggriweqnDKDF!

Oh. Sweet. Jesus. I want one too. *FALLSOVERWITHTHEVAPORS*

[dixiegrrrrl]

45. I have a cat which will power a dozen of these cars, then!

Makes a Boxer dog smell like a daisy in comparison.

[tblue]

2. Looks like a Disneyland ride car.

Kinda cute actually. I want one too!

[glowing]

21. I was just thinking it looked like a Disney Ride for the kids.

[LiberalEsto]

3. Trying to get in and out of that thing

would probably be painful for us older folks with arthritis.

[JDPriestly]

43. I would love it for city driving. I just drive around town at most, pick up a few groceries.

That car would be perfect for parking and driving alone in the big city. Maybe we could have dedicated freeway lanes for these tiny cars. That would encourage energy saving and better use of the limited parking space in big cities like LA.

[Lizzie Poppet]

4. It looks like a ladybug!

Adorable...

[Fumesucker]

5. I hope the AC is powerful

That thing is going to be hot in the summer, it doesn't look like the windows roll down.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. In India? It'd be an oven in there.

Plus, I hope it floats. Monsoons can turn the streets into canals.

[Electric Monk]

6. Range? How far can 175 litres of air take you?

[guardian]

9. 200 meters? n/t

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. But there's an electric compressor to pump more

... until the battery dies.

No mention of a gas or diesel generator.

There must be a way to get more mileage ...

[Auntie Bush]

7. Should be safe. Get hit and just roll away. But you might get pretty dizzy.

[HappyMe]

8. Hmmm..

It sits way too close to the ground. A pothole would probably take it out. Can't drive it in snow, sleet or heavy rain.
Might be useful in one of those golf course gated communities.

[sellitman]

10. Imagine getting hit my my neighbors Esplanade?

Pass.

[bongbong]

11. The French

have been working on compressed air cars for a while now.

Compressed air has a lot of pros, and not a lot of cons, as far as powering portable devices (like cars). One of the worst cons is reflected in the perfect gas law, that is an inverse relationship between pressure & heat. Pressurizing a gas creates heat, which unless dealt with just becomes wasted.

Probably the best system to power cars is using flywheels, as the losses are tiniest with those, but bearing failure is a danger.

[gollygee]

12. Looks like it would be horrible in snow

but it's a cool idea and I hope they keep working on different non-gasoline technologies. Awesome.

[randome]

13. That's silly. James Bond wouldn't be caught dead gadding about in one of those!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

22. Bond will drive whatever Q gives him to drive!

Are those portholes in the A-pillar? Or missile launch tube doors? Hmmmm

Anyway, not all his cars were Aston Martin:

[lunatica]

14. It looks like the horn sounds a lot like the Roadrunner

[dixiegrrrrl]

46. It would be so cool to have a bad ass air horn attached to that thing!

Had one for my '75 Beettle. Get behind some huge slow van and blow that thing, it was great.

[Hun Joro]

15. Cute! nt

[Sherman A1]

16. there was a company in Spain I believe

working on a Air Car several years ago, liked it then and I still think it's a great concept.

[eggplant]

17. I just love the "zero emissions" nonsense.

Unless you are planning on inflating it with your lungs, that energy comes from somewhere. Electricty? Well, that comes from somewhere, too.

[reACTIONary]

28. +1 (NT)

[RC]

38. Even if you depend on your lungs to fill it, there's the CO2 problem.

[eggplant]

48. +1!

Heh.

[Honeycombe8]

18. OMG. Want, too!!!!! In white? nt

[AtheistCrusader]

20. No more 'zero emissions' than an electric car.

Still energy. Still has to be generated somehow. MIGHT be zero emission on the generation side, might not.

[Android3.14]

23. This has been the automobile equivalent of vaporware for something like 10 years.

Heck, even the OP article is from September.
These guys have been promising the miraculous air car for freakin ever.
Guy Negre might have something, and the videos show that he has a vehicle that putt-putts along, but the distance is the clincher.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_car

[immoderate]

34. It seems a scam to me.

You can't compress enough air to go anywhere. You get a few miles from a car that size.

The air car has been around longer than the Web, surely longer than DU. And there's nothing on the roads. Every few months of so, someone posts about it here. You can't buy one or even test drive it.

Meanwhile, Google has put about a million miles on a self driving car, that is provisionally licensed in CA and NV.

--imm

[ewagner]

24. Wonderful applications

for urban transport.

Think of some of the possibilities!

[ananda]

25. I'm gonna call it a Ladybug.

Geez it's cute.

[obxhead]

27. I don't see that thing making it through some of the potholes I encounter

on a regular basis. LOL

Great concept, but it needs to be on a road ready chassis for it to be of any use to the average driver.

[Shankapotomus]

30. They've been promising that car forever

It was supposed to be released in the states in 2010. It hasn't even been made anywhere yet.

You can buy a Sunnev now.

http://www.sunnev.com/

[Jamaal510]

31. Meh...I'll pass for now.

Come up with something with the same features and more normal-looking, and then we'll talk.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

32. "Open the pod bay doors, Hal"

[lastlib]

33. OMG, we might've found a use for Rush Limbaugh!! and Hannity

except the emissions would be toxic.......

[Liberalynn]

35. Kind of cute but I'd worry about safety

[lumberjack_jeff]

36. A compressed air tank with enough energy to propel a 1000# car 50 miles...

... has enough explosive energy to propel the 150# operator sitting on the tank into orbit.

http://www2.worksafebc.com/portals/construction/miscellaneous.asp?reportid=33645&_from=construction.healthandsafetycentre.org

[Spitfire of ATJ]

47. I wish they thought "convertible" for weight reduction,...and fun.

[James48]

37. FOUR YEARS OLD

and still no closer to reality.

Sorry, but it's a hoax.


http://www.hoax-slayer.com/compressed-air-car.shtml

[progressoid]

41. Hoax?

A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth.

While the viability of their use as a mass produced vehicle is unknown, these vehicles do exist.

[MynameisBlarney]

39. Looks like

a death trap to me.
I'm all for non internal combustion engine powered vehicles.
But that wouldn't last a minute in real traffic.

[1monster]

40. Replace the joystick with a steering wheel and give it four wheels for stability,

and I'm in!

The video had some models that were not mentioned that had steering wheels, four wheels, and extra passenger space... Are those larger (family) models of the air car?

[TexasProgresive]

44. With that single front opening door it reminds me of the Isetta