The Air Car caused a huge stir when we reported last year that Tata Motors would begin producing it in India. Now the little gas-free ride that could is headed Stateside in a big-time way.
Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) confirmed to PopularMechanics.com on Thursday that it expects to produce the world’s first air-powered car for the United States by late 2009 or early 2010. As the U.S. licensee for Luxembourg-based MDI, which developed the Air Car as a compression-based alternative to the internal combustion engine, 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, at a clip of up to 10,000 Air Cars per year.
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, N.Y., startup is aiming bigger: Company officials want to make the first air-powered car to hit U.S. roads a $17,800, 75-hp equivalent, six-seat modified version of MDI’s CityCAT (pictured above) that, thanks to an even more radical engine, is said to travel as far as 1000 miles at up to 96 mph with each tiny fill-up.
Full story here.
The CityCAT, already being developed in India (bottom left), will be available for U.S. production in three different four-door styles. But it's the radical dual-energy engine, with a possible 1000-mile range at 96 mph, that could move the Air Car beyond Auto X Prize dreams and into American garages. (Source:PopularMechanics.com)I have never been impressed by those hybrid cars but the thought of an air-powered car is exciting indeed! I can't wait for the air powered car to go on sale. I'd be among the first to make a reservation for the purchase of this car!
I can't wait to tell those Middle Eastern oil producing countries, as well as Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, what they can do with their oil!
Interesting...Wonder how is the safety of the car like.
ReplyDeleteNightwing.
Puteri,
ReplyDeleteThis is too good to be true. Since the price is affordable or even cheaper than most of present makes of car, it will definitely be well taken. I dont mind if the ride is slower as air should be cheaper than gas (gasoline hehehehe).
Nightwing, acc to that report, the safety of the car is still being tested. If the car meets the minimum safety standard it will be on sale in the US. I have read other people's comment on the subject and many are excited about the price and how little gas it takes to run that car.
ReplyDelete***
Zawi,
Ya, a little slower is ok as long as it saves you money! About eight gallons of gas is all it takes to travel between 800 - 1000 miles! Wow, imagine that!
You still need gas, but just a little. I can't wait for the car to hit the market!
Puteri,
ReplyDeleteHow there :)
Ahah! That car! I read it somewhere before. There are several other concept cars being aired around, but none was as tempting as this. One of them cosider to use H2O to fuel the engine (it has something to do with the breakdown of H2O to H2 and O2, or is it the other way around? Hmmm...)
This car is very tempting because you can refill the air tank with compressed air at home. Alternatively, that can also be done in any gas station :)