Spot for Scott: Cars That Run On Air

In today’s push to find our next source of energy for transportation, we have talked extensively about alternative energies, such as: biofuels, hydrogen, natural gas, ethanol, electricity, solar, and propane. I myself have wondered what else is out there. Is someone finally trying to perfect the world’s largest mousetrap racer I toiled over in high school physics class? Instead I found out a group of designers at MDI have developed a car that runs on compressed air.

Growing up I am sure most of you had one of those balloon cars, which required a lot of hot air to produce little excitement. The Compressed Air Car (CAT) uses the same concept as the balloon car, except you add a lot more air and increase the pressure many times over. It has multiple air tanks built into a light fiberglass frame and reaches almost 70 mph.

The air car is not completely new, but has doubled its range from 50 miles in 2004 to about 125 miles in 2007 which could be cause for excitement. Though it still lacks a propulsion distribution plan that has plagued other alternative vehicles, air compression could be much easier to achieve then specialized tank reservoirs of “Bio Willie,” and we should add it to our list of alternative transport ideas.

Scott is a member of the CSIS Webteam and a monthly contributer to GSIonline.