Air car

My comments follow this short article.

Super Fuel-Efficient Car to Run on Air

A New York-based company plans to produce a car that runs on compressed air and gets up to 106 miles per gallon.

The car's engine would work like a locomotive, but instead of steam, compressed air would move the pistons. When the car hits 35 mph a fuel-powered external combustion system kicks in and heats the air, further increasing its volume.

While experts agree that it's possible to run a small vehicle on compressed air, many are skeptical about whether this system would work for a full-size car. Nevertheless, Zero Pollution Motors is pledging to build the first models in 2010, and sell them for around $18,000.

At first the air would be free, and pumped into the tanks using an on-board compressor. But we're sure someone will eventually figure out how to charge for the air. If you doubt this, take a look at that bottle of water you're drinking.

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I think this is exactly the kind of forward thinking we need to reduce our dependence on oil and our negative impact on the environment.

Sure, this won't replace the occasional need for a larger vehicle that can go for long range. But just imagine if most people drove air cars to and from work, the grocery store, soccer practice, music lessons, and the movie theatre instead of a gasoline powered car that pollutes.

They could rent a van or truck to bring home large purchases from Best Buy or Home Depot. They could rent a large SUV or minivan for that family road trip vacation. Or they could keep the one they have, but they wouldn't need to drive those inefficient polluters around every day.

I'm also not saying anyone should be forced into this type of behavior. This is America; the land of the free (at least for the moment), and we should be allowed to drive whatever we want. But it would certainly be a step in the right direction to have alternatives like this available to those who want to use them.

Think about it: 106 mpg, non-polluting, $18K. Personally, I would buy one of these in a heartbeat.

Crush du Jour: Steven Strait