The Air Car - Cars Running On Compressed air ?

rahul_intlad · 2nd April 2007, 14:17

Quote:

So MiniCAT is more like the Zen Estilo

Tata's one lakh car is also supposed to be on similar grounds,or is this car with a normal petrol engine the one lakh car by tata.

Ram · 2nd April 2007, 17:29

Ahhh, the one-lakh tourniquet is all we need to slow our traffic flow to a trickle.

The traffic on our streets and rural highways, carrying man and material from place to place, is the lifeline (blood circulation if you will) of our beloved Nation.

In the sixties and seventies, the wooden spoked bullock-carts, assisted by mysteriously overturning TMB-1210 lorries (the countryside was actually littered with'em), acted as atherosclerotic blocks effectively bottlenecking the flow.

Some angiographic traffic-analysis to see what ails the Nation, will reveal the 3- to 10-passenger rickshaws, Piaggio Apes and Minidors to be today's primary traffic impedances.

Now all we need is an even more ubiquitous, low-priced, low power-to-weight ratio vehicle to follow on.

Will it really put the nation on wheels? Or will it brake the wheels already struggling to turn?

rahul_intlad, aren't we already down to an average flow of 10 km/h in rush hour Pune traffic? How much slower must we sustain?

goldie_malhotra · 2nd April 2007, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram

Some angiographic traffic-analysis to see what ails the Nation, will reveal the 3- to 10-passenger rickshaws, Piaggio Apes and Minidors to be today's primary traffic impedances.

Now all we need is an even more ubiquitous, low-priced, low power-to-weight ratio vehicle to follow on.

At least this one wont turn your face black with the soot and gas they send out.

What ails our traffic is not these low-powered verhicles, but the general lack of road-sense amongst the people driving them. Not that people driving much bigger/flashier cars display more of it.

Ram · 2nd April 2007, 19:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldie_malhotra

What ails our traffic is not these low-powered verhicles, but the general lack of road-sense amongst the people driving them. Not that people driving much bigger/flashier cars display more of it.

The European and American road user has gone through the same civilizing process albeit chronologically earlier. So maybe someday things will improve here.

Today, the horses, carriages and dung-heaps of England are gone and their roads have more homogenous vehicle sizes.

Bicycles are banned from the street and heavy commercial vehicles in urban Europe are not permitted in the city between 08:00 and 23:00.

Even in Singapore, other than in Serangoon (Little India), you will not find jaywalking pedestrians on the road, anywhere except on zebra crossings when the light is red for vehicular traffic.

On the other hand, the colorful heterogenuity in Indian city traffic is unparalleled.

Nowhere else in the world have I seen, wheel-loaders, water-tank trucks, tractor-trailers, 40-foot-container-trailer-rigs, autorickshaws, 50-passenger buses, bicycles, two wheelers of all descriptions, not to mention simple pedestrians vying for roadspace with cars from Maruti 800s and Santros to Hyundai Sonatas.

Heterogenous Pune vs. Homogenous Birmingham

goldie_malhotra · 3rd April 2007, 10:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram

On the other hand, the colorful heterogenuity in Indian city traffic is unparalleled.

Nowhere else in the world have I seen, wheel-loaders, water-tank trucks, tractor-trailers, 40-foot-container-trailer-rigs, autorickshaws, 50-passenger buses, bicycles, two wheelers of all descriptions, not to mention simple pedestrians vying for roadspace with cars from Maruti 800s and Santros to Hyundai Sonatas.

Quite true - The other day I saw a Bentley Flying Spur trying to squeeze in between a ditch by the side of the road and a rickshaw, with a M800 honking madly behind her. Dont think I would get to see this sight anywhere else

Though I agree with the concept of restricting certain vehicles to certain sections of the city/highway. The air-powered car should not be allowed to enter any highway - it could be very dangerous. Ditto for all those assorted set of 3 wheelers dotting the rural landscape.

hondadude · 18th February 2008, 22:23

Source

LONDON: Tata Motors Ltd has confirmed that it is collaborating to develop an air-powered car with French inventors, a newspaper reported.

Tata Motors Managing Director Ravi Kant told a leading financial daily that his group last year signed an agreement with MDI, a private French company developing cars driven by compressed air.

"It's a very exciting concept, this way of running a car. We hope something will come out of it," Kant said.

He confirmed Tata Motors had the technology rights for India and was "studying whether it can be used".

Tata was looking at applying the technology for both mobile and stationary uses, he said in an interview published Sunday.

Reports last week said Tata was looking at the feasibility of applying the technology to power generation. According to MDI, which is based near Nice, compressed air technology can be applied to emergency generators.

Guy Negre, the French engineer who is working on the invention, was quoted saying last week his five-seater OneCat, with zero emissions in cities, will be marketed within a year.

supercars · 19th February 2008, 08:41

Well Ram. I have advise for you since you love London/Singapore/anywhere else, please shift there and be happy there.

Once you stay there long enough, you will know what India is; no other country is.

Well in many parts of the cities, trucks are not allowed in after 9 AM.

I am sure, I will see Ram as one of the people breaking all the rules of good road driving.

btw your post was made a long time ago. I hope you read Tata's comments when he launched the Nano. He is trying to help the guy who owns a bike who has a family and not to give rich men a new cheap toy.

v&v · 14th April 2008, 22:30

i saw a program on discovery channel regarding the air car and its technology.

the program says this is a workable technology and some indian companies are also working on this technology. i heard even TATAs are too getting into it.

it is even said , it have a compressor which will compress the air and can be self sustaining. Car running of just air....

Air car ready for production : Yahoo! Green

this is one of links for details.
Guy any more info please share.

dhaval · 15th April 2008, 01:06

Glad to know that the "Air Car" will be built by our very own Tata Motors.

India's shining kudos to Tata.

Rehaan · 15th April 2008, 02:45

Threads merged

Heres another thread on the TATA aspect of it : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...logy-home.html

cya
R

XCygon · 24th July 2008, 08:37

any update on it? I thought they were gonna introduce in Aug of '08, which is next month

Tata OneCAT - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

sridhga · 24th July 2008, 11:21

I work for one of the large air compressor companies in the world. As far as my understanding goes CAT vehicles are in use since long time but mainly as off road vehicles. You see these vehicles in golf courses, airport transportation,in-factory transportation etc. May be Tata is getting into such off road vehicle business or maybe they are trying to make this technology technically feasible for on road transportation. But our company recently sold their CAT business segment to Volvo. Now you see Tata is not the only automobile company getting into this business.

sridhga · 24th July 2008, 11:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by srishiva

The above mentioned system uses electric motor to compress the air. Wouldn't it be efficient for the electric motor to run the wheels directly. If the air was compressed by some other means and stored(and not on the vehicle), it makes sense.

Am I missing something here ?

AFAIK Compressed air technology is more effective atleast in industrial applications than an electric motors. It is also more safe for the workers and is more energy efficient.

penpavan · 15th December 2009, 14:13

Tata Air Car launch in India in 2011 likely, Tata Motors compressed air car | DWS Auto India

Guys, any news regarding the above?

Neil.Bhujbal · 15th December 2009, 14:40

The above link said the company had to deliver cars to some country by June 2009 and looks like that has not happened yet.

The air car's will surely come but not anytime soon.

Here's another link telling about the same car. Was posted in 2007

A car that runs on air, in India soon

2nd April 2007, 17:29	#17
Ram Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Singapore, Mumbai, Nagpur Posts: 2,166 Thanked: 219 Times View My Garage	Tata's one lakh car Ahhh, the one-lakh tourniquet is all we need to slow our traffic flow to a trickle. The traffic on our streets and rural highways, carrying man and material from place to place, is the lifeline (blood circulation if you will) of our beloved Nation. In the sixties and seventies, the wooden spoked bullock-carts, assisted by mysteriously overturning TMB-1210 lorries (the countryside was actually littered with'em), acted as atherosclerotic blocks effectively bottlenecking the flow. Some angiographic traffic-analysis to see what ails the Nation, will reveal the 3- to 10-passenger rickshaws, Piaggio Apes and Minidors to be today's primary traffic impedances. Now all we need is an even more ubiquitous, low-priced, low power-to-weight ratio vehicle to follow on. Will it really put the nation on wheels? Or will it brake the wheels already struggling to turn? rahul_intlad, aren't we already down to an average flow of 10 km/h in rush hour Pune traffic? How much slower must we sustain? Last edited by Ram : 2nd April 2007 at 17:30.
	() Thanks

18th February 2008, 22:23	#21
hondadude Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,044 Thanked: 69 Times	Source LONDON: Tata Motors Ltd has confirmed that it is collaborating to develop an air-powered car with French inventors, a newspaper reported. Tata Motors Managing Director Ravi Kant told a leading financial daily that his group last year signed an agreement with MDI, a private French company developing cars driven by compressed air. "It's a very exciting concept, this way of running a car. We hope something will come out of it," Kant said. He confirmed Tata Motors had the technology rights for India and was "studying whether it can be used". Tata was looking at applying the technology for both mobile and stationary uses, he said in an interview published Sunday. Reports last week said Tata was looking at the feasibility of applying the technology to power generation. According to MDI, which is based near Nice, compressed air technology can be applied to emergency generators. Guy Negre, the French engineer who is working on the invention, was quoted saying last week his five-seater OneCat, with zero emissions in cities, will be marketed within a year.
	() Thanks

19th February 2008, 08:41	#22
supercars BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 484 Thanked: 27 Times	Well Ram. I have advise for you since you love London/Singapore/anywhere else, please shift there and be happy there. Once you stay there long enough, you will know what India is; no other country is. Well in many parts of the cities, trucks are not allowed in after 9 AM. I am sure, I will see Ram as one of the people breaking all the rules of good road driving. btw your post was made a long time ago. I hope you read Tata's comments when he launched the Nano. He is trying to help the guy who owns a bike who has a family and not to give rich men a new cheap toy. Last edited by supercars : 19th February 2008 at 08:44. Reason: Smilie not coming properly
	() Thanks

14th April 2008, 22:30	#23
v&v Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,545 Thanked: 1,205 Times View My Garage	air cars - air powerd cars after electric cars i saw a program on discovery channel regarding the air car and its technology. the program says this is a workable technology and some indian companies are also working on this technology. i heard even TATAs are too getting into it. it is even said , it have a compressor which will compress the air and can be self sustaining. Car running of just air.... Air car ready for production : Yahoo! Green this is one of links for details. Guy any more info please share.
	() Thanks

15th April 2008, 01:06	#24
dhaval BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 404 Thanked: Once View My Garage	Glad to know that the "Air Car" will be built by our very own Tata Motors. India's shining kudos to Tata.
	() Thanks

15th April 2008, 02:45	#25
Rehaan Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 24,046 Thanked: 34,076 Times	Threads merged Heres another thread on the TATA aspect of it : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...logy-home.html cya R
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24th July 2008, 08:37	#26
XCygon BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 29 Thanked: 4 Times	any update on it? I thought they were gonna introduce in Aug of '08, which is next month Tata OneCAT - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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24th July 2008, 11:21	#27
sridhga BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 191 Thanked: 43 Times	CAT Vehicles I work for one of the large air compressor companies in the world. As far as my understanding goes CAT vehicles are in use since long time but mainly as off road vehicles. You see these vehicles in golf courses, airport transportation,in-factory transportation etc. May be Tata is getting into such off road vehicle business or maybe they are trying to make this technology technically feasible for on road transportation. But our company recently sold their CAT business segment to Volvo. Now you see Tata is not the only automobile company getting into this business.
	() Thanks

15th December 2009, 14:13	#29
penpavan BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Blore Posts: 452 Thanked: 227 Times	Tata Air Car launch in India in 2011 likely, Tata Motors compressed air car \| DWS Auto India Guys, any news regarding the above?
	() Thanks

15th December 2009, 14:40	#30
Neil.Bhujbal BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 192 Thanked: 90 Times	The above link said the company had to deliver cars to some country by June 2009 and looks like that has not happened yet. The air car's will surely come but not anytime soon. Here's another link telling about the same car. Was posted in 2007 A car that runs on air, in India soon Last edited by Neil.Bhujbal : 15th December 2009 at 14:43.
	() Thanks