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A car that runs on compressed air. Sounds pretty far fetched. But think of the possibilities. Such a car would emit zero pollution and would be cheap to maintain and drive. Is it a pipe dream? Actually, no.
The first commercial compressed air car is on the verge of being produced. Called the MiniC.A.T., it has such features as a tubular chassis that is glued together (not welded), fiberglass body, and a computer system that include voice recognition, Internet access, and digital entertainment just to name a few. The electrical system uses just one cable. Moreover, there is no key necessary to start the car. Instead, it is an access card that starts the car
while it is still in your pocket.
Mileage is staggering, with mpg about double that of the most advanced electric car. MiniC.A.T. can be filled with compressed air for an approximate cost of 1.5 Euros ($2) to travel 200 to 300 kilometers until the next fill up. Lubrication is provided by 1 liter of vegetable oil and it will be necessary to change the oil every 50,000 Km. The clean air emitted from the exhaust pipe has a temperature of 0 to 15 degrees below zero and can be recycled by the internal air conditioning system.
Tata, India's largest automobile manufacturer, has agreed to come up with the engine for the vehicle. Moteur Development International (MDI), a Luxembourg-based company, will manufacture it. The company has taken more than 10 years to research and develop the car and claims 30 international patents. MDI has already made four models. The sales price is expected to be about 5,500 pounds ($10,734).
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