The air engines are very efficient. Did you watch the videos? It says with 2 to 3 minute charge time of air you get 2 hours drive time. Lithium Ion batteries are a stupid idea because they have half-lives and cause a large amount of pollution too. For giving each home power, nuclear plants could be used instead of coal, and that would power the compressor you use to charge your air car. And to enable a longer range of travel, hydrogen fuel cells could be used.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3031870.stm

Hydrogen fuel cells could also be used primarily too if they were perfected enough.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XzeCQblYHic

http://youtube.com/watch?v=B0N1VBhtV4k

Either way would be the best bet in my mind.

 

I think that's misleading. You'll note that the onboard compressor takes up to 4 hours. So, 2-3 minute charge time only if you're filling from a large compressor tank. My compressor (older 4 HP Devilbis) takes only about 25-30 seconds to charge up it's 30 gallon tank, so that 3 minutes is either a huge air tank, or a fairly large compressor - i.e. not your typical sears oilless crap, but a real 8 HP industrial type. Those are not very efficient; they create a heck of a lot of heat.

One other thing. That whole 300 bar stat. Your Harbor Freight special ain't going to hit that kind of pressure no matter how long you run it. We have a ultra high pressure system here at work (550 PSI, as I recall), and it's a monster. The thing is huge; the size of a small car, not including the tank. It's also 440 volt. I doubt even many shops have the kind or equipment to go much past 150 PSI or so. So it isn't like you can pull into the Shell station and charge up.

 

Actually you are right, I don't watch tv, better things to do. What does a fuel bladder have to do with a giant can of compressed air?


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Swell for all the people that work low wage jobs i'm sure they will be happy to know that now they have to budget for another 125 a month, Who needs food or clothes for your kid anyway? Your the one who came up with the 1500 magic number. At least you got the "Yet" part right
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There is no real alternative to replacing fuel powered cars today. Even if you had something right this second how many years would it take to replace every auto in the US not counting farm equipment, planes etc?
Modern farming and oil based pesticides are what's allowed the ridculous population boom. Make fuel too expensive for farming or transport and your going to have alot of pissed off hungry people. How the **** does milk cost more than gas anyway? Is there a cow shortage I missed?

Most of you guys are totally missing my original question though.

I dont really care about wind, solar, nuclear energy or cars that run on refried beans and dead rats. You will never see that **** hit mainstream.

 

I don’t consider my self to be mainstream, more like off the beaten path. If the major auto manufactures won’t build it for me, then **** them! I will build my own.

I have been doing a little research last few days, as I alluded to in an early post I am considering building my own car that could get considerably better fuel mileage then present models. A sub 1000 LB car powered by a 20+- HP diesel motor, and aerodynamics that would make a F22 Raptor jealous. Looks on the other hand, might leave a little to be desired.

 

Build a locost. 1200 pounds (a bit heavier than your target), but an easy 100+ HP on a stock motor. Add in the fact that Miata parts are proven, readily available and reasonably priced. You can put one together for 4 grand if you're handy and can fab your own stuff. If you're creative, you can use a motorcycle engine or fit just about any small 4 banger.

Downsides are pisspoor weather protection, lots of noise and wind, and no creature comforts (heat, A/C). Oh, and the minor niggle that you are almost guaranteed to die if an SUV hits you.

But the guys that have built one all rave about how fun they are.

 

I do have the plans for the locost on my computer, but I think you missed the part about fuel efficiency. A locost is as aerodynamic as a brick wall. A 100 HP would be a blast in a locost, but that would be counterproductive when the goal is high fuel mileage

As for your “down sides” hell I already have most of those in the miata.

 

it's not as though you couldn't build a aerodynamic body on a locost frame.

 

I need see to believe....

Vash-

 

Ok Fucktard.

I am thinking something on these lines, but hopefully a little less hideous looking. http://jalopnik.com/cars/alternative...car-245595.php

 

Ok....so now the real question is;

If someone made one of these, exactly how long and intense of a production is it do be able to drive it legally? Could it even be registered with a regular plate, not any special restricted kind?

Vash-

 

Ran across this interesting article the other day in the Washington Post:

Trading Loophole for Wall Street Speculators Is Driving Up Prices, Critics Say

 

If you build it with 3 wheels, then it is considered a motorcycle. It is considerably easer to get a home built motorcycle licensed then a home built car.

 

with you on that one.

Maybe like Europe we'll have more "compact" cities. There is absolutely no reason our cities are as large as they are.

I spent my summer in Lugano Switzerland.

The city has a similar population to my home town in Florida, but instead of one side of the city being nearly 15 miles to the other side, I could walk anywhere I needed to.

Poor planning is a huge problem in this situation. I'm sorry, but if you want a big backyard, you better be ready to drive that extra distance.

 

While I'm not a fan of the aircar concept (from an efficiency standpoint) I don't think the tanks are going to be a real issue. Over the past few years, paintball players have been transitioning from CO2 to compressed air to power their markers. HPA (high pressure air, sometimes referred to as N2 or nitro) systems are more reliable than CO2 as they eliminate the tendency for the system to ice up on markers with a high rate of fire, and to blow lines and seals if liquid CO2 is drawn into the marker.

The tank I use holds 68 cubic inches and weighs approximately 3 lbs including regulator. It consists of a thin aluminum tank wrapped in spun carbon fiber, and is filled to 4,500 PSI- comparable to the fill pressure of an aircar.

These tanks are subjected to every manner of abuse imaginable. People drop them onto rocks, bang them around on trees and buildings while running, and so far as I'm aware, there has never been a documented case of one rupturing causing injury.

 

Hybrids, electric, gas, etc.
I'm not saying that its cheap now, but then gas has a 80-90% share today.
As for the standard, the only thing on another level than the other industrial countrys is the distances and the cheap gas and housing. Don't know if you've been to europe and industrialized asia, but it's not like we're farmers

 

So, how are they filled? Some sort of chemical reaction? Liquid?

 

The tanks are typically filled via a high pressure low volume compressor (if using compressed air) or from a cascade system (if using compressed nitrogen)