A compressed air vehicle, or CAV, may find its way to America within the next few years. The CAV will use compressed air to move the cylinders of the car’s engine the same way the explosion in a traditional gasoline engine does. Zero Pollution Motors, the company that makes the CAV, says it will be able to meet even the most strict future emissions standards because it emits no pollutants.
There are already plans for air-powered cars in India, where Tata, the company that recently bought Jaguar and Land Rover, is planning to build the cars in the near future. The company plans to franchise production in the United States. A CAV seller would buy a turn-key operation for about $15 million, capable of producing 8,000 cars per year. The company says the price for the cars will be about $20,000.
A CAV will be able to be plugged in at a customer’s home to fill its tank or use an onboard engine as a generator for its air compressor. A CAV will be able to travel about 60 miles on just its tank of compressed air. With the engine refilling the air tank, a CAV will have a range of 800 miles. The engine found in the CAVs is incredibly versatile, bio-diesel, ethanol, vegetable oil, diesel and gasoline can all be used for fuel. On regular gasoline, a CAV will get about 100 mpg, more than twice what a Toyota Prius gets.
The top speed of a CAV will be 35 mph, so you won’t be winning any drag races with one. The CAV should be on sale by 2011, Kiplinger.com reports.
Comments
No comments on this story yet. You can be the first to Add A Comment!