Submission + - Air Cars: hot idea or hot air? (hint: the latter) (nytimes.com)
cheeks5965 writes: We've argued before over compressed air vehicles a.k.a. air cars. Air cars are an enchanting idea, providing mobility with zero fuel consumption or environmental impacts. NYTimes Green Inc. blog reports that the reality is less rosy. New research from UC Berkeley and ICF International puts a period at the end of the discussion, showing that:
* Compressed air is a very poor fuel, storing less than 1% of the energy in gasoline.
* Air cars won't get you far, with a range of just 29 miles in typical city driving.
* Despite appearing green the vehicles are worse for the environment, with twice the carbon footprint as gasoline vehicles, from producing the electricity used to compress the air.
Given these barriers, manufacturer claims should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.
* Compressed air is a very poor fuel, storing less than 1% of the energy in gasoline.
* Air cars won't get you far, with a range of just 29 miles in typical city driving.
* Despite appearing green the vehicles are worse for the environment, with twice the carbon footprint as gasoline vehicles, from producing the electricity used to compress the air.
Given these barriers, manufacturer claims should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.
