The classic family mini-van, minus the smog.The zero-emission automobile. A perennial dream of social ecologists and green capitalists alike. Weíve come closer in recent history, but flaws, whether technical or economic in nature, are partially responsible for preventing any new technology from gaining widespread appeal (the primary culprit being the insidious influence of oil industry oligarchs.)
The green dream may finally materialize when the first production vehicles to run entirely on air drive off the assembly line as early as spring 2005. Yes, the Air Car. Fossil fuel free and non-polluting, this new technological development may be the next step to achieving ecologically sound urban transportation.
French Formula One engineer Guy NËgre has developed an motor engine that operates on compressed air, and his company, MDI, has unveiled several vehicle models that will feature this lightweight engine that emits nothing but filtered air through its exhaust. The Air Car is funky and functional, and will retail at a modest US$8-10,000.
The only major drawback that is immediately apparent is that the car can drive a maximum of 300 km before the tank of compressed air needs to be refilled. Plugging the car into an ordinary household outlet will refill the tank in under four hours, while commercial refilling equipment available from MDI can do the job in a mere three minutes. According to MDI, one tank will last for about ten hours of urban driving.
What may be even more fascinating than the Air Car itself is the near-total ignorance of this four-wheeled urban revolution by the corporate media. I only managed to find a small handful of news articles on this ingenious device that should change the face of city transport. Considering that this innovation may make a considerable impact on our fossil fuel based economy, this unfortunate neglect by the mainstream press is unsurprising.
For details on the technology behind the Air Car and a glimpse of the cars themselves, visit MDIís website at www.theaircar.com .
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