An Air Powered Car?

Tata Motors, a huge vehicle manufacturer in India, announced the "Mini CAT, a car that utilizes compressed air to push its engine's pistons to propel the vehicle.  The vehicle could cost around 365,757 rupees in India, or $8,177 US.  The Mini CAT is a simple, light urban vehicle with a tubular chassis, a body of fiberglass that is glued not welded and is powered by compressed air.  There's also a microprocessor unit that controls all of the electronic functions.  The Mini CAT also has one small radio transmitter that sends a feed to the lights, turning signals, and every other electrical device on the car.  

One very cool feature is the temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe.  It's 0-15 degrees below zero.  This creates an internal air conditioning system that doesn't utilize gas or power.   The Mini CAT has no keys, just an access card that's read from your pocket.  According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees, or about a dollar per 100 KM, that's about a tenth of the cost of a car running on gas.  The mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car, making it a preferred choice by motorists.  You're probably wondering about the top speed.  The Mini CAT tops out at 60 mph with a range of 185 miles between fuels. 

Refilling the Mini CAT takes place at adapted gas stations with special air compressors.  Fill up time takes 2-3 minutes, costing just 100 rupees, or around two bucks.  The Mini CAT does not have a combustible engine so changing the 1 liter of vegetable oil is only necessary every 30,000 miles.  Also, due to its simplicity, maintenance is almost a non-factor.  

The Mini CAT sounds too good to be true with no gas, no maintenance, an a low price  Well it isn't without complications, and after conducting some further research In 2009, Tata Motors’ Vice President of Engineering, S. Ravishankar admitted that the project was facing difficulties in terms of vehicle range and cooling. At that time, Ravishankar declined to say whether the company was officially calling off the project, but commented that excessively low engine temperature caused by the compressed air was a major problem.

I guess we'll have to see.  It's an awesome concept.  We'll keep you posted on any breaking news on the new fascinating phenomenon.  Could you see yourself in one of these vehicles?  Let us know below!