CARROS, France (National Post): Imagine a car that runs on air.
What seemed like a pipe dream may soon become reality as Frenchman Guy Negre hopes versions of his compressed air car will be produced in India this year by Tata Motors after a 15-year quest for backers for his invention.
Negre believes the time is right for his design with oil prices at record highs and pressure on automakers to improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles.
"It is clear that, with oil at $100 a barrel, this will force people to change their use of fuel and pollute less," says Negre. "My car is zero pollution in town and almost no pollution on the highways," he adds, saying the vehicle could travel 100 kilometres at a cost of one euro in fuel.
The former Formula One motor racing engineer's invention depends on pressurized air to move the pistons, which in turn help to compress the air again in a reservoir.
The engine also has an electric motor -- which needs to be periodically recharged-- to top up the air pressure.
The compressed air bottles, similar to those used by divers, can be filled up at service stations in several minutes.
The latest versions of the cars -- Negre's firm Motor Development International (MDI) made an entire series of prototypes of engines and vehicles -- also include a fuel engine option to extend the car's range when not in reach of a special power plug or service station.
Tata, India's largest auto-maker, concluded a deal in 2007, investing more than $29-million.
Pre-production in India is set for 2008, Negre says.
The vehicle, protected by some 50 patents, will cost between $5,200 and $6,000. Using composite materials, it will weigh no more than 330 kilograms and has a top speed of 150 kilometres an hour.
"The lighter the vehicle, the less it consumes, the less it pollutes and the cheaper it is --it's simple," Negre says.
MDI's models, which typically have a rounded shape a bit like a speech balloon in a cartoon, include the Minicat urban vehicle and the Citycat for longer distances with an added tank for ethanol, diesel or biofuel and a taxi version.
Negre says he aims to set up mini factories in regions where the car is used.
"No transport, no parts suppliers. Everything will be made at the place of sale in production units that can make one car per half hour," Negre says. "That is more profitable, more ecological than the big factories of the large carmakers."
Negre is not the only inventor working on compressed air engines. Uruguay's Armando Regusci, Australia's Angelo di Pietro and South Korea's Chul-Seung Cho have also produced designs.
But Negre has the backing of Tata, whose global ambitions took a major step forward when it was recently named preferred buyer of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford.
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