106 MPG Compressed Air Car Coming Soon?
Fred Flintstone used his feet to get his car moving forward, but what will you be using in the near future? What if we told you the answer to that question was "air?"
Yes, friends, air. Compressed air, to be exact.
The compressed air car is the inspired idea from a European company called MDI, founded in 1991 by a French inventor. The car would use compressed air in a way similar to how a steam engine drives pistons to create motion.
With the goal of 106 miles per gallon of fuel (so you still need a little gas) and an 800 mile range, the car could be the super solution to the challenge of ever-increasing gas prices.
New York-based Zero Pollution Motors is the first U.S. company to license MDI's technology, with hopes to have a six-seater model for sale in 2010 – for less than $18,000.
There are skeptics, of course. The amount of air pressure required -- 4,500 pounds per square inch – is something typically seen only in industrial applications. But the company claims to be able to surmount this challenge. They also say that while their car will be small, it will still be safe to drive on American roads, surrounded by SUVs and 18-wheelers.
Between zero and 35 miles per hour, the car would use only compressed air to move forward. Above that speed, a little extra juice is necessary, and that's where the fuel would come in to play.
Next year, the car will compete for the Automotive X Prize, with a multimillion-dollar award going to the car that "can win a stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 mpg equivalent fuel economy."
We'll keep you posted. [Source: CNN.]
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