Tata Motors to introduce Air Car

reply to post by full997


You sound as if you've been brainwashed, because you're trashing a technology which is basically the same as the internal combustion engine minus the harmfull combustion(!) on the grounds of nostalgia.

You sound to me like the sort of person that would go through the doors of hell over the doors of heaven if you prefered their taste in door knobs down there.

How about thinking things through a bit more. Top gear is an entertaining show, but it makes for a retarded manifesto.

Another page of that Air car-

Zero Pollution Motors(ZPM) expects to produce the world's first air-powered car for the United States by late 2009 or early 2010. As the US licensee for Luxembourg-based MDI, which developed the Air Car, ZPM has attained rights to build the first of several modular plants, which are likely to begin manufacturing in the Northeast and grow for regional production around the country. And while ZPM is also licensed to build MDI's two-seater OneCAT economy model (the one headed for India) and three-seat MiniCAT (like a SmartForTwo without the gas), the New Paltz, NY, startup is aiming bigger, company officials want to make the first air-powered car to hit US roads a $17,800, 75-hp equivalent, six-seat modified version of MDI's CityCAT that is said to travel as far as 1000 miles at up to 96 mph with each tiny fill-up. Another car gaining popularity because of its features is the Mercedes-Benz Smart.

indiapost.com...

reply to post by Zepherian


I am not trashing any technology, i am a proponant of new technologies when they offer increases on what already exisits.
In other words when for the same cost or cheaper these new technologies can offer the same or better performance, looks, and style that current cars do then i will support them.
Top Gear is a great show and i take offence at the term "retarded manifesto", Top Gear has no manifesto although they do offer great opinions and ideas that are difficult to ignore for example when the Transport Minister was on the show and Clarkson argued using statistics (the chosen governmentl way of justification) against the true effectiveness of speed camerras in preventing accidents.

Another example is the Toyota Prius, Toyota have claimed that it will do through normal use 60mpg, however in actual testing by Clarkson and the Top Gear team they proved that you are lucky to get more than 40mpg which is worse than some diesles.

I am nostagic for the motor car, but i am also one to look for the future which is why i am annoyed at NASA and Richard Branson for claiming the rubbish that they are creating and calling it advanced technology.

I look towards the future for many things, i spend hours thinking and dreaming of new technologies and methods for many things from propulsion to weapons, from deep sea exploration to the use of a form of what i can best describe as molecular separation to combat smog bound cities.

I am looking to the future, but i still love the past.

reply to post by full997


you wouldnt happen to be a spokesman for Aston Martin or Top Gear would you?

anyway neat little car, but i wonder how it would do driving in the Australian outback?

[edit on 28-7-2008 by Demandred]

reply to post by Demandred


lol, no i'm not a spokesman for either though i wish i was, just imagine what my company car would be lol.

Electric vehicles have tons of potential in my opinion and this new compressed air engine sounds like a step in the right direction. I personally drive an electric vehicle in Vancouver for work.

www.newflyer.com...

Let me assure you there is plenty of get up and go for a 44 000 lbs bus empty. From a stop light I've left many people at the line when driving Not In Service. Even with a full load of about 70 people they still move along pretty well. The good thing about electric vehicles is the dynamic braking(reverses the field in the electric motor and uses friction to slow the vehicle down with just a slight touch of the brakes).

I can see the super highways using a similar system as to electric trolleys for transit being used for the long haul trucking or even like the Acela train and European trains with a pantograph connecting to a designated overhead power grid for trucks in the median lanes with electric vehicles moving freight. Imagine the changes to prices and world economies.

Once it can be easily integrated, efficiently mass produced and generate significant profit and worthy technology will make it main stream. Remember when owning a home computer was messmerising to some of your friends, or way back when a neighbor got a TV. It takes time to integrate new techs. All vehicles one day will become electric or hybrid is inevitable. Electricity can be generated from a number of sources and air is just everywhere. Fossil fuels are finite and a viable alternative will be introduced soon.

I HOPE

reply to post by rocksolidbrain


Humm super compresed air.... I'll leave that one for now, a little bang here or there and kablamo!!!!!

leaving aside any politics - my first thought when i saw the ` engine ` was :

WTF ????????????????

i honestly expected to se a turbine and reduction gearbox - like some naval torpedoes used to employ

NOT



and a description claiming that it is a modified ICE engine with air injection systems timed to inject air during the ` power ` stroke

the ` internal friction ` of this type of set up is quite high -ever worked on your own car engine - how much effort did it take to rotate the crank with the spark plugs or deisil injectors removed ?

quite a bit - most drag comes from the piston rings - and the valve spring resistance

whereas a turbine - even a masive one like a jet engine or marine poewr plant - can be spun with the flick if the wrist - even though the rotating mas weights over 100kg , and it spins for several seconds

it seems to me like hey have picked the most inneficient way to go , why ?

reply to post by rocksolidbrain


I've you seen that Thing? As a petrol head I would radder craw then drive that thing, and please don't call that a "Car", it is offensive to all us Car Lovers, call it a "self propelled thing".

On the bright side, Tata now own Lotus and Land Rover so we can expect good Cars from that group very soon...

Here's a thread from a few months back on it.

Here's another video.



Here's the car I want. Not quite the Tesla but about 30k and does 90mph & up to 300mpg.





[edit on 29-7-2008 by verylowfrequency]

Originally posted by NorthWolfe CND

I've you seen that Thing? As a petrol head I would radder craw then drive that thing, and please don't call that a "Car", it is offensive to all us Car Lovers, call it a "self propelled thing".

I must agree with you and some other posters above, but only partially.
You see, this is a new tech, first of its kind. Do you remember the early horseless carriages ?
They have a tuff competition and politics.

And yes the engine is a converted IC may be, I don't know this stuff. But they are saving the cost of an all new plant.

Lets see how it evolves.

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
leaving aside any politics - my first thought when i saw the ` engine ` was :

WTF ????????????????

i honestly expected to se a turbine and reduction gearbox - like some naval torpedoes used to employ

NOT

and a description claiming that it is a modified ICE engine with air injection systems timed to inject air during the ` power ` stroke

the ` internal friction ` of this type of set up is quite high -ever worked on your own car engine - how much effort did it take to rotate the crank with the spark plugs or deisil injectors removed ?

quite a bit - most drag comes from the piston rings - and the valve spring resistance

whereas a turbine - even a masive one like a jet engine or marine poewr plant - can be spun with the flick if the wrist - even though the rotating mas weights over 100kg , and it spins for several seconds

it seems to me like hey have picked the most inneficient way to go , why ?

I suspect someone more knowledgeable might correct me, but it could have to do with turbines and torque. The reason a piston engine has high resistance is because it is that resistance which is being turned into torque in the drivetrain isn't it? Most marine powerplants I've seen also use pistons btw. Just huge ones.

Maybe a compressed air turbine running into a hybrid electrical setup could achieve what you suggest, at a guess.

Originally posted by full997
I am not shelling out 8000 for a slow as hell air car when i can get an MG ZR or an old Camaro for a thrid of that.

Good for you, Im so pleased you continue to entertain this thread with your wonderful contributions. You like British made. Got it. You dont want an air car. Got it. Actually, got them both in the last post you decided to delight us with.



On topic -

Im looking forward to see if this actually does get more widespread news reports. S&F'ed !!

I would like such a car for putting around. The future could bring improvements. Compressed air seems fun.

Originally posted by Zepherian
The reason a piston engine has high resistance is because it is that resistance which is being turned into torque in the drivetrain isn't it?

Piston engines compress air + fuel first, then explode the mix. Most of the resistance comes from the air pressure. Here the cycle is different, the air is already compressed.

reply to post by bloodcircle


All i have been doing is answering posts with my opinions, if you dont like it then dont read my posts instead of making a post just to have a pop at me and causing me to have to do the same in order to defend myself.

If you would take notice, nearly all my posts have been in direct response to another poster and not in order to repeat something i have already said.

[edit on 29-7-2008 by full997]

[edit on 29-7-2008 by full997]

Stop the bickering and get on topic.

Thank You.

Any further posts snipping at one another or off topic will be delted and the member warned.

I think that once the technology has been devolped further there is no reason why we cant have a stylish, and cost effect means of transport. The only reason i can see for this technology being played down is the the fear of the golbal econmoy taking a massive dive with the need for oil slowly diminishing. As we know the global economy rides on the coat tails of the oil price.

reply to post by elevatedone


Anyway back on topic (which i was all along lol),
We need to find some way of offering a sound infrastructure to go with this new technology if it is to become widespread.
The availability of compressed air and electricity filling stations would have to be as available as petrol pumps currently are.
If a compressed air or electricity filling point is available at almost every petrol station in the country then the technology would be viable, but until then if i owned one i would be worried about not being able to find somewhere to fill up.

On a safety issue, what would happen if the compressed air tanks ruptured or the acid in the batterys for the electric cars was to leak?
What about crash saftey as i have seen a G-Wizz crashed at 30mph and not only be smashed to very small pieces but also spread acid all over the road.


[edit on 29-7-2008 by full997]

reply to post by full997


And where exatly did you see this "accident" occur. The vehicle isn't even available to the domestic market.