Air, Electricity, and/or…?
May 26, 2009 (Tuesday)
As you know, there is a push for fuel-efficient automobiles.
The latest idea I have seen is a very small vehicle powered by compressed air. A tank of compressed air is on board the auto, filled to 4500 lbs per square inch with a compressor powered by household electricity. That air, under controlled release, moves the car, and when the air runs low, a small engine kicks in and powers the compressor to refill the air tank. The concept is being criticized as using too much power to compress the air, offsetting the savings in gasoline, but the inventor says it’s a great idea whose time has come.
All-electric cars are also being designed and experimental models are already being tested. Ironically, some of the first cars ever made were electric cars. They lost the battle for popularity, however, and were eventually replaced by autos powered with cheap gasoline. Today’s electric cars are powered by modern batteries, which are more powerful and last longer than older types of batteries, yet still are very expensive, and this cost will be reflected in the price of the car.
So far, the most impressive new types of cars are the hybrid versions, running partly on electricity and partly on gasoline. Efficient models are on the road today and are being improved through research.
Development of new types of cars is almost guaranteed by new government guidelines that will be enforced by law. Our country needs to realize, however, that one of the major reasons the U.S.A. produced so many great inventions in the past was because we were a “wild and crazy” bunch of guys and gals who were not inhibited by government rules and involvement, as were inventors in other nations.