The Rs 1-lakh car isn’t the only affordable technology that Tata Motors will introduce in 2008. India’s largest four-wheel automaker has plans to bring out cars fired by compressed air, the cheapest auto fuel in the world.
Related Link: Car that runs on air - More Pics
Tata Motors will start producing cars running on air fuel, sometime in 2008. These are expected to deliver the lowest running cost across all passenger car segments, and could be much lower than CNG, the cheapest on-road fuel (with a running cost of a rupee per kilometre) right now. The cost of a fuel refill would be about Rs 90, and each refill is expected to deliver a distance in the range of 150-200 km.
These cars are expected to be in the same price band as the current Indica range (approximately around Rs 3.50 lakh) and will probably mirror the European variant called MiniCAT, which runs on the same engine technology. These pollution free vehicles are expected to deliver a maximum speed of up to 220 km/hour and their debut may coincide with the launch of the Rs 1-lakh car, next year.
Related Link: Car that runs on air - More Pics
When contacted, Tata Motors spokesperson refused to comment on the possible launch of these air fuelled cars but said, “The engine and the technology is being further refined, and still requires a couple of years’ work. It is premature to comment on the exact timing of launch, pricing etc. The effort is to deploy innovations such that pricing makes them competitive alternatives in the market. The technology is exclusive to Tata Motors and will cover a range of applications — automotive, power generation etc.”
Sources in the automobile industry say Tata Motors is experimenting with the technology on its different models and mass production of the ‘Air Car’ could commence next year for the domestic market. These are expected to be the first air-powered vehicles in India.
Earlier this year, Tata Motors signed an agreement with MDI of France to source technology to develop engines powered by compressed air. The engines are gasoline, fuel gas, bio-diesel, liquid gas, ecological fuel, alcohol and ethanol blend compatible.
Sources add that Tata Motors could launch a limited number of these cars in India under a pilot project, which are already available in select markets in Europe and South Africa. Tata Motors is the sole licensee of the technology in India.
How does it work?
For decades, automotive engineers have been working with the idea of a car that would run on compressed air or use compressed air as an energy storage method.
90m3 of compressed air is stored in fibre tanks. The expansion of this air pushes the pistons and creates movement. The atmospheric temperature is used to re-heat the engine and increase the road coverage. The air conditioning system makes use of the expelled cold air. Due to the absence of combustion and the fact there is no pollution, the oil change is only necessary every 50,000 km (31,000 miles).
The engine uses a unique connecting rod design that allows the piston to stay at top dead center for 70 percent of the crankshaft rotation, allowing pressure to build. It's paired with a plastic-fiber high-pressure storage tank, similar to what's used with natural-gas vehicles, which keeps the air up to a pressure of more than 4000 psi and can be recharged at an air station in about three minutes. The range is supposedly better than 200 km (124 miles).
The arrangement has nearly no emissions at the tailpipe (though of course overall efficiency depends on the compressor used to fill (pressurize) the tank. The engine's lubrication oil, a liter of vegetable oil, needs to be changed once every 50,000 km (31,000 miles). And, the air expelled may actually be cleaner than the air taken in, as it is run through a carbon filter to remove larger contaminants that might be damaging.
The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0 - 15 degrees below zero, which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.
There are no keys – just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket.
Related Link: Car that runs on air - More Pics
Related Link: Car that runs on air - More Pics
Tata Motors will start producing cars running on air fuel, sometime in 2008. These are expected to deliver the lowest running cost across all passenger car segments, and could be much lower than CNG, the cheapest on-road fuel (with a running cost of a rupee per kilometre) right now. The cost of a fuel refill would be about Rs 90, and each refill is expected to deliver a distance in the range of 150-200 km.
These cars are expected to be in the same price band as the current Indica range (approximately around Rs 3.50 lakh) and will probably mirror the European variant called MiniCAT, which runs on the same engine technology. These pollution free vehicles are expected to deliver a maximum speed of up to 220 km/hour and their debut may coincide with the launch of the Rs 1-lakh car, next year.
Related Link: Car that runs on air - More Pics
When contacted, Tata Motors spokesperson refused to comment on the possible launch of these air fuelled cars but said, “The engine and the technology is being further refined, and still requires a couple of years’ work. It is premature to comment on the exact timing of launch, pricing etc. The effort is to deploy innovations such that pricing makes them competitive alternatives in the market. The technology is exclusive to Tata Motors and will cover a range of applications — automotive, power generation etc.”
Sources in the automobile industry say Tata Motors is experimenting with the technology on its different models and mass production of the ‘Air Car’ could commence next year for the domestic market. These are expected to be the first air-powered vehicles in India.
Earlier this year, Tata Motors signed an agreement with MDI of France to source technology to develop engines powered by compressed air. The engines are gasoline, fuel gas, bio-diesel, liquid gas, ecological fuel, alcohol and ethanol blend compatible.
Sources add that Tata Motors could launch a limited number of these cars in India under a pilot project, which are already available in select markets in Europe and South Africa. Tata Motors is the sole licensee of the technology in India.
How does it work?
For decades, automotive engineers have been working with the idea of a car that would run on compressed air or use compressed air as an energy storage method.
90m3 of compressed air is stored in fibre tanks. The expansion of this air pushes the pistons and creates movement. The atmospheric temperature is used to re-heat the engine and increase the road coverage. The air conditioning system makes use of the expelled cold air. Due to the absence of combustion and the fact there is no pollution, the oil change is only necessary every 50,000 km (31,000 miles).
The engine uses a unique connecting rod design that allows the piston to stay at top dead center for 70 percent of the crankshaft rotation, allowing pressure to build. It's paired with a plastic-fiber high-pressure storage tank, similar to what's used with natural-gas vehicles, which keeps the air up to a pressure of more than 4000 psi and can be recharged at an air station in about three minutes. The range is supposedly better than 200 km (124 miles).
The arrangement has nearly no emissions at the tailpipe (though of course overall efficiency depends on the compressor used to fill (pressurize) the tank. The engine's lubrication oil, a liter of vegetable oil, needs to be changed once every 50,000 km (31,000 miles). And, the air expelled may actually be cleaner than the air taken in, as it is run through a carbon filter to remove larger contaminants that might be damaging.
The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0 - 15 degrees below zero, which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.
There are no keys – just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket.
Related Link: Car that runs on air - More Pics
