Air powered cars - In India

I recently read an article from a website called www.green-energy-news.com that described the the dependence of air powered cars on carbon fiber technology. As many know, carbon fiber is stronger and lighter than steel as well as corrosion proof. It has been used in airplanes, racecars, and other applications that try to ebenfit from its high strength/weight ratio. Similarly, without carbon fiber composites Guy Negre, the inventor of air-power technology, wouldn’t have his air powered cars. It’s the super strong carbon fiber pressure tanks that make the cars possible.

Now that green technology is coming to one of the top 10 carbon emitters in the world -- India. According to Green Energy News, "MDI Industries, of Carros, France, which develops the air powered cars and engine technology, has signed a licensing agreement with Tata Motors that allows that company exclusive rights to manufacture and market an MDI car and its technology in the world’s second most populous nation. The small, fiberglass composite 770 pound (350 kg) cars could sell for about $5000."

You might have heard of Tata in recent news, as they just introduced their Tata Nano, the cheapeast car in the world selling for Rs. 100,000 (about $2500). The air powered car model that Tata Motors "will have a top speed range of 55 - 68 miles per hour and a full tank range of 62 to nearly 500 miles. The significant range increase is due to the addition of heat source. Fuel for the burner can be bio-based or petroleum. On long distance runs the Dual-Energy CAT should achieve 120 miles per gallon."

You might think that it would take long for the car to refill, but from a specialized, powerful air pumping station, pressure tanks can be refilled in about 3 minutes.

What excites me the most about this concept are two things: that the green technology is coming to India (a country with extremely smoggy cities) and that there is potentional for "solar-powered air filling stations for true full cycle zero emission transportation." Imagine if the filling stations, like Dr. Makhijani said, had solar panels on their roofs to aid in compressing the gas? Yes solar technology is still relatively expensive for small businesses and individual users but all technologies start expensive when the demand is as low as solar technology is now. Solar technology has been around for a few decades, but the demand has never increased substantially to warrant a decrease in price. From other examples in the past (like computers, electronics, etc.), with an increase in demand, an increase in solar technology R&D will occur and prices will decrease. Contrary to what Colin Smith has written below, there are substantial tax incentives already available in California. For instance, businesses are eligible for 30% tax credit from the IRS. Given the numbers Colin gave, $65,000, that would equate to $19,500 in tax credit, reducing his anticipated cost to $45,000. $45,000 would be enough in today's prices to cover at least 2 homes worth of solar energy, given the national average of 660 w/ day per home.

To throwout the feasibility of a technology based on today's prices is ludicrous considering that there is substantial R&D left needed to make solar energy a viable energy solution. The price of a GRiD Compass 1101 laptop in 1982 was $8,000-$10,000. I recently just bought an obviously much more advanced HP laptop and printer for $299. Think of the possibilities...