Imagine what the development of a car that ran on compressed air would mean to the price of oil. Consider the effect it would have on global warming. Think of what it would do to the U.S. trade deficit. Get your mind around how it would rearrange global power relationships away from places like the Middle East, Russia and Venezuela. Sound too good to be true? Maybe not.
I got a heads up recently from reader John Redden about a technological development, amazing not for its cutting-edge complexity but for its mundane simplicity. Instead of using an explosion to drive a piston, you could do it with a puff of compressed air. You can read about it here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4217016.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4251491.html?series=19
A company in Luxembourg, MDI, has licensed Tata Motors of India to produce its CityCat model there. It is expected to retail for about $12,700, will have a top speed of 68 miles per hour and a range of 125 miles. It should cost about $2 to fill its tanks with 340 liters of air at 4350 psi. This model won't sell in the USA-it's actually glued together. But another may.
Zero Pollution Motors has secured the license from MDI for US production of a modified version, and could get under way in late 2009 or early 2010. Popular Mechanics describes it as, "a $17,800 75-hp equivalent, six seat modified version of MDI's CityCat that, thanks to an even more radical engine (apparently with a small bit of gas-powered assistance), is said to travel as far as 1000 miles at up to 96 mph" on about 8 gallons of gas.
No doubt we'll have to wait and see whether these innovations are overhyped or actually practical. But the bottom line is that with gas prices accelerating there is a tremendous incentive, including prospects for mega-profits, for the inventor or company that can solve these engineering problems. There is already the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize for developing the first car that can get 100 mpg, but that pales in comparison to the billions in sales such a vehicle would generate.
John feels confident that human inventiveness, spurred on by the profit motive, will find the solutions we need. I tend to think he's right.
2 comments:
I think the sooner we can move away from petroleum, the sooner the Middle East becomes China's problem. Not that I'd want to wish that problem on anyone.
If that does become a practical reality, the Middle East sheiks will be in deep trouble.
Absolutely right, as will regimes in Nigeria and Venezuela. It won't help Russia any, either. The main issue is to stick to getting rid of petroleum. The sheiks might try to curtail the push by drastically slashing oil prices to make the green alternatives less economically competitive in the short run. But we must not fall for that game anymore.
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