Air-Powered Car, AirPod: The Future Of Urban Transportation?

[tblue37]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/22/air-powered-car-airpod_n_799939.html

There are cars that run on gas, electricity, vegetable oil, even human waste, and now there is a car that runs on air.

The AirPod has been created in the UK and runs on compressed air. This CNN video demonstrates how the three-wheeled, two door, steering wheel-free vehicle zips around. (It is also oddly reminiscent of a car from "The Jetsons," but that was probably not planned.)

Compared to a standard car, the AirPod emits a fraction of the pollution, can reach up to 50 mph, and will cost around $10,000. Motor Development International hopes that the AirPod will be the future of urban transportation.

Video of darling little car included at link.

[tblue37]

1. What? Does no one else think this is cool? nt

[valerief]

8. I do. That's why I posted it yesterday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x58252

[Occulus]

2. hit piece n/t

[tblue37]

4. Hit piece? What does that mean? nt

[Creative]

3. There is no information regarding the source of the compressed air.

I would assume that this car has tank that must be filled from an air compressor, which in turn, utilizes a source of carbon based energy.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Electricity can be generated from non-carbon based energy.

So it can be filled/recharged without polluting. The problem with this car is the range is likely too small. It might be fine for a golf cart but not for daily commuting.

[Creative]

11. Electricity, in the quantities that are needed, cannot be generated from

non-carbon based energy.

[DCKit]

12. So you walk, right? Everywhere. Like Jesus. nt

[Creative]

16. Huh...? I know it's the Christmas season, but what does Jesus have to do with this thread?

[DCKit]

18. Not THAT Jesus, the one pronounced "Hey-Zues". Silly. nt

[TexasProgresive]

5. There ain't no free lunch!

How many watts of electricity does it take to fill the air tank and how does that equate to fossil fuel and electric power cars?

In other words is there a real energy and pollution benefit in such a car?

[RegieRocker]

6. Is that Hot or Cold air.

If hot can I say the car is full of "Hot Air"?

[IDemo]

9. Not again

This thing pops up now and then, always "ready for mass production next year", year after year. Much like the vaunted 'Sky Car'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_air_car#Disadvantages (references for below can be found at the link)

# Refueling the compressed air container using a home or low-end conventional air compressor may take as long as 4 hours, though specialized equipment at service stations may fill the tanks in only 3 minutes.<3> To store 14.3 kWh @300 bar in 300 l (90 m3 @ 1 bar) reservoirs, you need at least 93 kWh on the compressor side (with an optimum single stage compressor working on the ideal adiabatic limit), or rather less with a multistage unit. That means, a compressor power of over 1 Megawatt (1000 kW) is needed to fill the reservoirs in 5 minutes from a single stage unit, or several hundred horsepower for a multistage one.<5>
# The overall efficiency of a vehicle using compressed air energy storage, using the above refueling figures, cannot exceed 14%, even with a 100% efficient engine—and practical engines are closer to 10-20%.<6> For comparison, well to wheel efficiency using a modern internal-combustion drivetrain is about 20%,<7> Therefore, if powered air compressed using a compressor driven by an engine using fossil fuels technology, a compressed air car would have a larger carbon footprint than a car powered directly by an engine using fossil fuels technology.
# Early tests have demonstrated the limited storage capacity of the tanks; the only published test of a vehicle running on compressed air alone was limited to a range of 7.22 km.<8>
# A 2005 study demonstrated that cars running on lithium-ion batteries out-perform both compressed air and fuel cell vehicles more than threefold at the same speeds.<9> MDI has recently claimed that an air car will be able to travel 140 km in urban driving, and have a range of 80 km with a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph) on highways,<10> when operating on compressed air alone, but in as late as mid 2009, MDI has still not produced any proof to that effect.
# A 2009 University of Berkeley Research Letter found that "Even under highly optimistic assumptions the compressed-air car is significantly less efficient than a battery electric vehicle and produces more greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional gas-powered car with a coal intensive power mix." <11>

[Fumesucker]

14. Yep, I was using a compressed air powered mini die grinder the other day..

It took almost the entire compressed air output of a four horsepower compressor that weighs a couple of hundred pounds with the tank to run one air motor that's smaller than a can of Coke.

I use that sort of tool because it doesn't get hot in extended use, in fact it actually gets colder from the adiabatic expansion of the air in the motor, energy efficient it ain't but it does have its uses in certain situations.

Edited to add the (nearly life size) image of the kind of grinder I was using.

[immoderate]

15. The "Air Car" goes back 20 years. It's vaporware.

Check DU archives. It comes up once or twice a year. I think it's a scam ala "The Producers."

--imm

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

10. why not just go back to what we know works?

trains and streetcars and such.

Lots of the infrastructure is already in place. And whatever new infrastructure needs to be laid is going to be easier than...at least we know that it works.

I guess I've never owned a car in my life and have managed to get by, so it's hard for me to get excited about cars.

[WinkyDink]

13. Wake me when it happens.

[RegieRocker]

17. All silliness aside and in recognition of the air car

if it were possible with a higher speed and long range it would be far better than electric. No batteries to make, buy, recycle and dispose of. Most definitely.

[NNN0LHI]

19. I thought the Segway was supposed to be the Future Of Urban Transportation ten years ago?

I have never seen one in real life.

Don