Tata Motors Develops Balloon-Powered Nano
In the wake of eco-criticism for daring to offer a cheap car to India's lower classes, Tata Motors has been busy greenwashing. The Economic Times looks in the reportorial mirror and quotes "industry sources" who assure us that Tata really does love green long time. There's talk (talk, and nothing but the talk) of a 47mpg hybrid Indica model (yeah, yuk it up stoners), blended-fuel vehicles and hydrogen fuel cells. As if to confirm the air of desperation surrounding Tata's "green technologies programme," the Financial Times tells us that the Indian automaker has signed an agreement with French firm MDI to develop a car that runs on compressed air. That's right, the world's first zero-emission, zero-fuel car would operate on the same principle as a cereal box balloon car. In theory, MDI's compressed air car would max-out at 30 mph. Tata Managing Director Ravi Kant declared that "it's a very exciting concept, this way of running a car. We hope something will come out of it." Speaking of which, MDI claims the new car's exhaust will be cold enough to double as air conditioning; a guaranteed selling point for subcontinental motorists. Not to mention the fact that it stops us from dismissing the idea as nothing but hot air.
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NICKNICK: Of course we are... it's zero emissions, zero fuel! Tata has stumbled across compressed air-based perpetual motion!
Here's a related link: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article3399532.ece TimesOnline claims that the OneCAT, "burns small amounts of conventional fuels at higher speeds ..."
they already have cars running like this in France. There's a company located down near Nice that's doing this...
How about the French/Irish Derry Air model? And the methane Derry Air?