India to launch air-powered car in 2008
The first car in the world propelled by compressed air is scheduled to be cruising India's city streets sometime next year.
Developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Negre, the Air Car will be built by Tata Motors, India's largest automaker. Tata Motors anticipates producing 6,000 Air cars by 2008.
The Air Car uses compressed air to push its engine's pistons and should be practical and reasonably priced. The CityCat model's top-end speed is 68 mph with a driving range of 125 miles.
Refueling is easy and takes just a few minutes if you live near a gas station with custom air compressor units. The cost of a fill up is approximately 2 U.S. dollars. If a driver doesn't have access to a compressor station, they will be able to plug into the electrical grid and use the car's built-in compressor to refill the tank in about four hours.
