Other Alternative Fuels

[CaptPatrick]

Since we have a discussion going on about hydrogen as a fuel source, there is another technologie that is already in semi-production, doesn't use any internal combustion and needs no complex support industry. It doesn't need high tech infrastructure & requires only slight modification to existing resources already in place...

Air Cars & Trucks

The parent company, MDI, has been working on this concept for several years, already has cars on the road in Mexico & India, has set up a US distributor, and seems to be a very viable concept. Next to water, air is the most common natural resource on the planet.

Seems to me that this concept is getting far too little attention...

Br,

Patrick

[Sean B]

I couldn't find anything on that particular site about range and performance of air-powered vehicles. I saw that they have a working electric scooter that has a range of 40-50 kilometers, or 25-30 miles.

I guess it would be all about how much air can you carry.

You would still get the all energy from electricity, and have an air tank instead of a battery to store it in a vehicle. I like the idea, but also wonder if you can carry enough air around to make it practical.

A quick search found this article: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automot ... 17016.html

68 MPH and 125 mile range, not too shabby. But the construction of this one is too shabby for american auto standards (all glue construction?!?)

I found another one here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automot ... 51491.html

I had no idea this was already being done. This was an impressive claim:

“I want to stress that these are estimates, and that we’ll know soon more precisely from our engineers,” ZPM spokesman Kevin Haydon told PM, “but a vehicle with one tank of air and, say, 8 gal. of either conventional petrol, ethanol or biofuel could hit between 800 and 1000 miles.”

Here is a video about the french one: http://videos.howstuffworks.com/science ... -video.htm

The damn things sure are ugly though. Who (besides a Frenchman) would think that they will look cool driving aroung in this:

[Rawleigh]

Don't forget to wear your Beanie, Sean!! It's sooo cute!! Now if they could just put that into a pickup truck . . .

[Sean B]

Oh yes, definitely need the beanie. Along with a pencil-thin mustache, and maybe be smoking a cigarette held in one of those old-style metal things, wearing a leisure suit.

Ooo la la, look at me - I'm a cool French guy in an aircar