Bali Protocols Passed – More on that later.

Posted on December 18, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

I will have comments on the passage of the Bali Protocols but I have 2 posts that have been laying around for awhile. I want to get them off the shelf while I can. The Bush administration made sure that nothing will happen on their watch because the negotiations will take 2 years. 2 years we may not have!

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/85/i31/8531notw4.html

Latest News

July 30, 2007: Volume 85, Number 31; p. 15

Silicon cells

Solar Energy Advances

New technology should lead to increased supplies

Marc Reisch

AS THE WORLD increasingly looks to solar power as a new source of energy, technology advances and new cooperation agreements among photovoltaic industry leaders promise to increase the supply, processibility, and cost-efficiency of silicon-based solar energy cells.

Using new technology, Wacker Chemie plans to build a solar-grade granular polysilicon production facility at its site in Burghausen, Germany. The 650-metric-ton-per-year plant should come on-line at the end of 2008 and will manufacture the polysilicon used to make solar wafers in a continuous fluidized-bed process.

New process yields easier route to polysilicon for solar cells.

The firm first announced two years ago that it had developed the process as an alternative to the batch production procedure now more widely used to make polysilicon for both semiconductors and solar cells. The starting material, trichlorosilane, is the same for both batch and continuous processes.

In the batch process, trichlorosilane is deposited at high temperature on a starter rod, where it decomposes to polysilicon. Workers then remove the rods from the reactor, transfer them to crushing machines that create manageable polysilicon pieces, and run the pieces through an acid-etching step to remove contamination introduced during crushing. The continuous process eliminates the rod removal, crushing, and etching steps.

Taking its advances in solar polysilicon a step further, Wacker also says it is in talks with Schott Solar, a German maker of photovoltaic components, to set up a 50-50 joint venture to make silicon ingots and solar wafers, precursors for the production of solar cells. The two hope to conclude discussions and start up production later this year.

Separately, Germany’s Q-Cells, which claims to be the world’s second-largest maker of silicon solar cells, has increased its stake in a smaller U.S. silicon cell maker, Solaria, from 12% to 33%. Q-Cells acquired its increased stake in the Silicon Valley-based firm as part of a $50 million investment it made together with two financial investors and Moser Baer, an Indian maker of photovoltaics.

Along with the investment, Q-Cells committed to supplying Solaria with enough cells to generate 1.35 gigawatts of power over the next 10 years. Using its “cell multiplication technology,” Solaria will double the output of cells it obtains by slicing them into thin strips and reassembling them to double the surface area they cover. The technology includes packaging the cells under an optical concentrator to focus more sunlight on them.

DuPont is also doing its part to improve solar-cell efficiency. The firm will manage prototype development and testing of a solar cell designed by the University of Delaware that has the potential to be 30% more efficient than existing solar cells. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded a DuPont/University of Delaware consortium $12 million to advance solar-panel development, but it could award as much as $100 million over the three-year life of the project.

Another Compressed Air Car – There is hope in the air

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

>I never did document whether there was a downside to the MDI compressed air car or other valid press articles on the car that could give some balance to the company stuff I first posted. I thought I had found one on a blog about cars. It was titled:

Addict 3 D

www

Online

Car Fueled by Air Not as Cool as Inventor Thought

But everytime I try that link something weird happens. Still while on the search page I saw the article below in CNN and thought I would post it. If the French, the Indians, and the Koreans think it will work it must have some merit. I want one bad.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/03/30/spark.air.car/

/spark.air.car/

Car that runs on compressed air

Monday, April 11, 2005 Posted: 1032 GMT (1832 HKT)

story.phev.jpg

The pneumatic electrical hybrid vehicle (PHEV) runs on compressed air.

• Green cars starting to take root

• London’s big red buses go green

• Vegetables offer oil alternative

• The car that can read road signs

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• Energine Corporation Web site

• Reader response to this story

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(CNN) — A Korean company has created a car engine that runs on air.

The engine, which powers a pneumatic-hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), works alongside an electric motor to create the power source.

The system eliminates the need for fuel, making the PHEV pollution-free.

Cheol-Seung Cho, of Energine Corporation, told CNN the system is controlled by a computer inside the car, which instructs the compressed-air engine and electric motor what to do.

The compressed air drives the pistons, which turn the vehicle’s wheels.

The air is compressed using a small motor, powered by a 48-volt battery, which powers both the air compressor and the electric motor.

Once compressed, the air is stored in a tank, Cho said.

“The compressed air is used when the car needs a lot of energy, such as for starting up the car and acceleration. The electric motor comes to life once the car has gained normal cruising speed.”

He said the system was relatively simple to manufacture and could be easily adapted to any conventional engine system.

“You could say our car has two hearts pumping. That is, we have separate motors running at different times, both at the time when they can perform most efficiently.”

Cho also said the system could reduce the cost of vehicle production by about 20 percent, because there was no need to build a cooling system, fuel tank, spark plugs or silencers.

Cho hoped to see PHEVs on streets in the near future.

Peter Kemp, editor of “Petroleum Intelligence Weekly,” told CNN that one of the biggest challenges for the invention was persuading the general public to embrace it.

“For this invention to take off, you’d need to get the backing of a major manufacturer. The major manufacturers that are looking at hybrid motors at the moment are looking at fuel cells — battery with a gasoline diesel combination,” he said.

Kemp said Toyota, which has released a hybrid car, had sold about 150,000 of the environmentally friendly model worldwide.

“But that is over several years. There is a lot of demand for that car but that is the only one that is really available and nobody knows whether Toyota is making any money out of it.”

Last Piece On Germany – There are always nay sayers.

Posted on December 6, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

For those of you who want a diferent take on burning things up and energy generation besides the usual global warming debate (its happening, no its not, yes it is, no its not).

http://www.energyandcapital.com/aqx_p/3062

Its a chance to sign up for a newsletter that believes that we are running out of energy sources fast and that an energy crash is near…

In the mean time Germany is talking about cutting its carbon emissions by 40% and phasing out its Nukes! Were America only this good.

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45020/story.htm

Coal to Make Germany Miss CO2 Target – Green Group

GERMANY: October 26, 2007

BERLIN – Germany has no chance of achieving its reduced CO2 emissions’ targets if it keeps building coal-burning power plants, an environmental group said on Thursday.

Deutsche Umwelthilfe studied the impact of new plants on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government’s CO2 targets and said it should either abandon the new plants or scrap plans to cut CO2 emissions by 40 percent between 1990 and 2020.

The government’s 40-percent goal will definitely not be reachable if Germany continues to build coal-burning power plants,” the group’s managing director, Rainer Baake, said

“Building new coal-burning plants is not compatible with any serious climate protection policy.”

German utilities are building or have plans to build 26 coal-burning plants. Some will take over from older, less efficient plants, but many will replace nuclear plants

Germany needs the extra coal power to compensate for the loss of nuclear power, which now accounts for 30 percent of energy production. Nuclear power is being phased out by 2020.

And guess what? US Corporations are Investing in German Technology. George Bush has sold this country to the dogs.

Posted on December 5, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

The Week in Germany: Business, Technology and the Environment

July 20, 2007

Silicon Saxony: Germany at the Cutting-Edge Crossroads of the PV and Semiconductor Industries

Innovative semiconductor technologies and applications are being developed in Germany, where they are now increasingly also tapping into the immense potential offered by photovoltaic (PV) applications, the driving force behind the country’s booming solar power sector.

This was the topic at Invest in Germany’s executive luncheon “Made in Germany – the Growing Success Story for Next-Generation Solar and Semiconductor Companies” on Tuesday (July 17) in San Francisco, which concluded a two-day conference attended by 140 executives from both industries.

At this “Semicon West 2007” event, representatives of leading companies including Qimonda, AMD, Applied Materials, and Signet Solar discussed Germany as a location for high-tech investments and groundbreaking cooperation between the PV and semiconductor industries.

A semiconductor is usually created by silicon for commercial use. Semiconductor devices, electronic components made of semiconductor materials, are essential in modern electrical devices, from computers to cellular phones to digital audio players. A DRAM (dynamic RAM) is the most commonly used semiconductor memory product.

Dynamic technology hot spot

Munich-based Qimonda AG, the top 3 DRAM manufacturer worldwide, operates its largest semiconductor development center in Dresden. “We are located in ‘Silicon Saxony’ – one of the most dynamic technology hot spots in the world,” said Frank Prein, managing director of Qimonda Dresden.

Another leading semiconductor investor in Germany is AMD. The California-based company sees its presence in Germany, notably in Dresden, as essential to its global market success.

“With over $5 billion total investment in Dresden to date, AMD continues to utilize the excellent skill base in the region to develop and optimize next-generation microprocessor solutions,” said William Haerle, vice president for worldwide government relations at AMD.

Solid communication and cooperation structures among equipment makers, materials suppliers and chip makers are distinctive characteristics of the semiconductor industry. Such key relationships across the semiconductor value chain could also benefit PV cell and module makers by enhancing technical standards and production, which would in turn lead to lower prices and boost demand for solar power.

“The synergies between these two industries are increasing, providing promising business opportunities. In this respect, Germany plays a key role as the European leader in both semiconductor and PV technology,” said Claus Habermeier, senior manager at Invest in Germany’s Palo Alto office.

Highest density of PV producers worldwide

According to Winfried Hoffmann, chief technology officer of the Solar Business Group at Applied Materials, rapid growth of the solar energy market in Germany has created an enormous market potential for international semiconductor firms.

“Germany has the largest density of PV producers worldwide. Between 2007 and 2008 another 15 PV companies are planned with investments of about €1 billion in all steps of the value chain,” said Hoffmann.

The success of the PV industry is still strongly linked to existing government support programs. Equipment manufacturers with experience in both the semiconductor and the PV industry could offer PV producers the most effective technology to become competitive under market conditions.

“In the long run integrated manufacturing of thin wafers and subsequent cell and laminate making is probably the most effective route. With this technology cell efficiency gains of up to 24 percent – or even more for Si wafer technology by introducing nanomanufacturing technologies – could become a reality by 2020,” said Hoffmann.

American companies cooperate in Dresden

In Germany, two leading California companies, Applied Materials and Signet Solar, are demonstrating how cooperation between both industries can work: Signet Solar’s first low-cost silicon thin-film PV module plant in Dresden will use Applied Material’s technology.

“Signet Solar combines decades of semiconductor experience from Silicon Valley and Silicon Saxony to accelerate the adoption of PV thin-film silicon technology,” says Gunter Ziegenbalg, managing director of Signet Solar GmbH. “We are aiming for grid parity with solar modules made in Saxony within five years.”

Invest in Germany is the official investment promotion agency of Germany. Its mandate is to assist and advise international companies about investment opportunities in Germany. (Invest in Germany/TWIG)

Links:

Invest in Germany

The German-Indian-Silicon-Valley Solar Solution
(TWIG, Readings, July 20, 2007)

A Huge Success: Federal Environment Minister Presents Progress Report on Renewable Energy Sources Act (TWIG, July 13, 2007)

Cloudy Germany a Powerhouse in Solar Energy (TWIG, May 11, 2007)

Free Trade? Germany Does Meaningful Investment Instead.

Posted on December 4, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

Not only does Germany invest in energy efficiency at home and export those products, they invest in them abroad as well. What does the US invest in? War. What does the US export? Jobs and Poverty.

Post on Facebook Bookmark on Delicious Digg this Article

From: Paula Leighton, Science and Development Network
Published October 22, 2007 02:09 PM

Germany Supporting Chilean

Renewable Energy Efforts

Solar Power Demand to Soar in Coming Years
Developing Nations Ripe for Wind, Solar Energy, U.N. Says
Academies: We must address energy imbalance
Ontario Plans Renewable Energy for 100,000 Homes

Santigo, Chile – The German government has pledged up to US$126 million to fund Chilean research into renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The Chilean minister of energy, Marcelo Tokman, announced the agreement during an official visit to Berlin, Germany, this month (10 October).

A spokesperson for Chile’s National Commission of Energy told SciDev.Net that the German government will donate US$11.5 million and lend up to US$114.5 million.

During the visit, Tokman also formally accepted an invitation for Chile to become one of the founder countries of the new International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

IRENA — an initiative led by Germany — aims to promote the use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind power, regenerative biomass, wave and tidal power worldwide.

It will also support national energy planning, research centres and technology transfer, especially from industrialised nations to developing countries.

“The invitation to become a member of this agency is a recognition of the work the government is doing to boost sustainable energy development in Chile by promoting non-conventional renewable energies and energy efficiency,” said Tokman in a press release.

Chile is currently carrying out research into geothermal, solar and wind energy, especially in remote areas of the country. Most research and projects receive state subsides.

Chile’s first wind power park looks set to become part of the Chilean interconnected energy system by the end of this year.

Chile is exploring renewable energy such as solar powerChile’s National Commission of Energy says the country can expect wind power capacity to increase from 2 megawatts to over 100 megawatts by 2010.

A bill on renewable energies — waiting to be approved by the Chilean parliament — aims to increase renewable energy from its current level of 2.4 per cent to eight per cent of total energy production by 2020.

Germans Think of the Future, Americans Think in the Past

Posted on December 3, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

I forgot all about transparency and the web on Thursday. I write very few of these blogs myself. I take them from other sources, because there is so much written about energy and the environment, I have very little to add. I have written my own posts like the ones on Asimov, but they are not even 1% of the total posts. So to that end I always try to cite my sources and very openly post the sources web site here. Well Thurday I did a lousy job. I want to do more on German Energy Advancement but before I do I used this service to find that article:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1525/is_n1_v80/ai_16111823/pg_7

and the article was from the Sierra Club magazine:

http://www.sierraclub.org/

For this I apologize. Also none of the articles links work…from now on I will try to be a better linker or at least delink what I can not support. This article is from:

IGNITING IDEAS

The High-Tech Strategy for Germany

http://www.hightech-strategie.de/en/201.php#top

Environmental Technologies –

Clear Water, Clean

Air, Fertile Soil

In contrast to the 1970s and 1980s when centre stage was given to aftercare environmental engineering – such as filter systems to keep air and water clean – environmental protection considerations are today increasingly being taken into account during the development phase. With this approach, natural resources are to be used efficiently and harmful effects on the environment are to be minimised throughout a product’s entire lifecycle.

At the same time, new environmental technologies offer economic benefits. Organic solvents pollute ground water and air, have to be separated and recovered – frequently with considerable energy input – and are also questionable in terms of occupational safety. Such solvents could, for example, be replaced in the future by supercritical fluids which – thanks to their easy-to-modify state of aggregation – are much easier to separate.The German environmental engineering sector – which includes the waste and water management industries and parts of the mechanical engineering and plant manufacturing field – employs some 1.5 million people today. At international level, German firms are particularly successful in the air pollution control, noise abatement and recycling fields.With its national sustainability strategy, the German government aims to reduce the air pollution load by 70 percent by the year 2010, double German industry’s energy efficiency and resource efficiency by the year 2020 and reduce land development from currently 100 hectares a day to 30 hectares a day. The German government has committed itself to reducing the emission levels of the six greenhouse gases cited in the Kyoto Protocol by 21 percent over 1990 levels by the period 2008 through 2012.These national sustainability goals cannot be achieved without cleaner and more efficient technology. German industry should therefore be helped with identifying and developing new R&D findings with environmental protection potential and applying them immediately in the domestic market. The German government aims to tap the global market for the German environmental engineering industry and to adapt technologies and know-how to local conditions in threshold and developing countries.

Progressively develop environmental technology for the domestic market

Economic and ecological targets can often be met simultaneously when a product’s entire life cycle is taken into account during the planning and production processes. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research funds collaborative projects in the manufacturing sector with a view to linking new research approaches with problems in actual practice.

Innovative environmental protection technologies such as self-healing surfaces and waste-free processes are a focus of surface technology and spill over into many sectors – from car manufacturing to the construction sector and furniture industry all the way to the shipbuilding industry. Surface technology has not however had a joint R&D platform because the field has a wealth of user industries and is therefore highly fragmented. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is therefore planning a comprehensive research initiative for this area.

Bionics use nature as a source of inspiration for technology. In order to make it easier to translate creative ideas into products, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is planning a new research campaign aimed at supporting work to develop such ideas to the stage where they are functioning demonstration models or production-ready prototypes.

The Ministry’s Research for Sustainability funding programme supports and funds the development of new environmental protection technologies.

Pilot projects create trust in the reliability of new technologies

In contrast to years past, when the focus of funding was on the retrofitting of systems and on downstream purification processes (so-called end-of-pipe technologies), financial assistance today is provided primarily for first use of new integrated environmental protection technologies, with priority being given to SMEs. The Environmental Innovation Programme of the Federal Ministry of Research and Development funds these industrial-scale pilot projects. These activities, which receive flanking technical support from the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), establish the prerequisites necessary for defining technical standards and establishing legally binding emission ceilings.

Use Germany’s strong domestic market as a springboard for tapping the global market

Sustainability in trade and industry is not just a German aim – it is also a European aim. For this reason, Germany has joined up with Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain in the ERA-NET Sustainable Enterprise (SUSPRISE) project to co-ordinate its national research activities aimed at fostering sustainable enterprises.

Export credit guarantees granted by the federal government (Hermes guaranties) are an important instrument for spurring foreign trade, including in the environmental technology field. The OECD member states agreed in 2005 to extend the maximum permissible terms for export credits for renewable energy and for water and waste-water projects to 15 years. With the new aval guarantee that was launched in 2006, the German government will cover a share of the third-party risk borne by the guarantor. This will substantially improve liquidity, particularly for small and medium-sized exporters. The Federal Environment Agency’s Internet portal at www.cleaner-production.de offers extensive information about the capabilities of German environmental technologies and services.

Protect the global water supply

Many threshold and developing countries suffer from an inadequate supply of drinking water and – particularly in megacities – from waste-water problems that can scarcely be handled. The development and sustainability goals adopted by the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 include halving the proportion of the global population that has no access to safe drinking water or adequate sanitation services by the year 2015. This goal is a pressing humanitarian task. The development of the requisite water and waste-water infrastructure however also constitutes an enormous investment market.

The German government is supporting the development of an integrated water resource management (IWRM) system in numerous partner countries, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.

In addition to its development policy projects in this field – Germany is one of the world’s largest donors in the water sector – the Federal Ministry of Education and Research also funds the continued development of IWRM methods and approaches.

German and regional partners from research institutes, government agencies, engineering offices and the water industry participate in these projects.

The International Postgraduate Studies in Water Technologies fellowship programme has been set up to train German and foreign water specialists who, as future decision-makers in their home countries, could help develop the know-how urgently needed there. The networking this will generate between participants could facilitate the German water industry’s access to the growing water markets in threshold and developing countries.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development will offer funding for ten years for a Water Decade office at the University of the United Nations in Bonn as a step to support collaborative international research activities.

Lower Pollution Levels Lead To A Vibrant Economy

Posted on November 29, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

Germany is a perfect example of how producing energy with no pollution (in many case no burning) leads to an economic expansion and creates new good paying jobs. Bush and the Republicans have been wrong all along. Nixon, Reagan and Bush oh my!

Green revolution in the making –

innovative German

environmental protection efforts

Sierra, Jan-Feb, 1995 by Curtis Moore

<< Page 1 Continued from page 6. Previous | Next

The cumulative effect of all these programs is to place Germany in a commanding position as nations beset with environmental problems search for ways to reduce pollution quickly and inexpensively. Thailand, for example, decided to install scrubbers on its coal-fired power plants after a single episode of air pollution in Mae Mo District sent more than 4,000 of its citizens to doctors and hospitals. Smog-bound Mexico City has been forced to implement emissions controls on cars and factories. Taiwan is even going so far as to require catalytic converters for motorcycles. Such mandates will almost inevitably benefit Germany because, as Harvard Business School economist Michael Porter explains, “Germany has had perhaps the world’s tightest regulations in stationary air-pollution control, and German companies appear to hold a wide lead in patenting–and exporting–air pollution and other environmental technologies.”

In the United States, however, where environmental standards were relaxed by a succession of Reagan/Bush appointees, often in the name of competitiveness, “as much as 70 percent of the air pollution control equipment sold…is produced by foreign companies,” according to Porter, whose 855-page study of industrial economies, The Competitive Advantage of Nations, examines the impact of environmental regulations on competitiveness.

Germany’s actions continue to contrast sharply with those of the United States, even under President Clinton, whom most environmentalists supported as the green answer to George Bush. Germany’s emissions limits on power plants and incinerators are 4 to 300 times more stringent than those of the United States. German companies that generate electricity from wind, solar, or other renewable forms of power are reimbursed at twice to three times U.S. levels. German recycling is mandatory, while American programs are usually voluntary where they exist at all.

Still, support for Germany’s environmental initiatives is by no means unanimous. Wolfgang Hilger, for example, the chairman of Hoechst, Germany’s largest chemical company, complained bitterly in 1991 that the government had lost all sense of proportion. He claimed that regulations had jeopardized 250 jobs at his company, and threatened it with a $100-million loss. But Hilger represents a minority view. Most German citizens and businesses remain convinced both that environmental protection is essential and that the technological innovation stimulated by stringent environmental requirements will, over the long term, strengthen their national productivity and competitiveness.

Tragically, U.S. political leaders continue to embrace the outmoded and false view that the environment can be protected only at the expense of the economy, when the truth is precisely the opposite. Meanwhile, products of American genius continue to depart for Japan, Germany, and other nations, only to be sold back to U.S. industry sometime in the future. So far, the homes-from-pollution process hasn’t traveled full circle back to its place of invention in the United States. But don’t be surprised if sometime soon you see a piece of wallboard being nailed into a new office or a remodeled home only to find it boldly emblazoned: “Made in Germany.”

What Do G.E. and Chevron have in Common besides being Environmental Pricks?

Posted on November 28, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

When you type “Hot Environmental Topics” into google search, they are the FIRST TWO websites that pop-up. I am not kidding! So I clicked on the first link. The contradictions are amazing:

http://www.chevron.com/globalissues/emergingenergy/

The page you go in at is all gushy about the future but when you click on their global warming page whoa does the corporate speak snap into play?

Q. What is Chevron’s position on The Kyoto Protocol?

A. The Kyoto Protocol assigns mandatory emission limits of greenhouse gasses to signatory nations. We support the intentions of Kyoto in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and respect the individual countries that have made the decisions to sign. However, while we support the global engagement that it envisions, we believe it focuses on signing up many countries rather than truly engaging the 10 – 12 critical emitting countries. Further, we think it asks for emission reductions that are too aggressive too quickly, given the technologies that are currently available. Finally, we don’t think the economic consequences are fully outlined.

Q. Does Chevron support measures such as California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32)?

A. In 2006, California Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. The legislation seeks to cap California’s greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by 2020.

Again, we support the intentions of the state in reducing GHG emissions. But we believe that effective mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions can only occur at a global level, given that climate change is a global issue. This requires coordinated national frameworks, and fragmented actions by individual states have the potential for undue economic costs without effectively mitigating the climate change risk.

We have experience with state–by–state and region–by–region regulatory approaches, and these have not been favorable to consumers.

Bottomline “YOU CAN’T TELL US WHAT TO DO”

When you click on General Electric’s web site you get very pretty animated stuff. Do these guys have bucks or what?

http://ge.ecomagination.com/site/index.html?kw=environmental%20issues&c_id=environmental#home

But the first thing they offer up is CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGY! Sorry Caz I wish I was a good enough blogger to put up the video but this is the link:

http://ge.ecomagination.com/site/index.html?kw=environmental%20issues&c_id=environmental#tampa

Everyone should ask google how this is possible? Especially after they announce that they are going to spend big bucks on clean energy production??????

More About The Compressed Air Car – I want one of these.

Posted on November 20, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

I have been trying to track down more about this amazing car. As I understand it, the car is not in production but you can place an order for one by contacting the manufacturer directly. If you live in Europe apparently you can buy the car for $15,000. If you live in the USA, you will have to pay shipping costs which could add $5,000 to the cost. The text below is from Gizmag:

http://www.gizmag.com/go/7000/

March 19, 2007 Many respected engineers have been trying for years to bring a compressed air car to market, believing strongly that compressed air can power a viable “zero pollution” car. Now the first commercial compressed air car is on the verge of production and beginning to attract a lot of attention, and with a recently signed partnership with Tata, India’s largest automotive manufacturer, the prospects of very cost-effective mass production are now a distinct possibility. The MiniC.A.T is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fibreglass. The heart of the electronic and communication system on the car is a computer offering an array of information reports that extends well beyond the speed of the vehicle, and is built to integrate with external systems and almost anything you could dream of, starting with voice recognition, internet connectivity, GSM telephone connectivity, a GPS guidance system, fleet management systems, emergency systems, and of course every form of digital entertainment. The engine is fascinating, as is and the revolutionary electrical system that uses just one cable and so is the vehicle’s wireless control system. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators etc

There are no keys – just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket.

Most importantly, it is incredibly cost-efficient to run – according to the designers, it costs less than one Euro per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km. The car has a top speed of 68 mph.

Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 1.5 Euros, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometres.

As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours.

Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000 Km.

Compressed Air Cars. I have seen the future and it is very good.

Posted on November 19, 2007 by Doug Nicodemus

How would you like to go 200 miles for $2.00? Thats the claim for this car. If you charged the car with solar whoa, transportation with no pollution. Do not be fooled by its small size because it is made out of carbon composites so it is really tough. You drive in the middle which is cool. There business model is one of small regional assembly plants so it spreads jobs where ever it goes. Whoa you could knowck me over with a feather. How can we get one of those in Springfield, Illinois!

http://www.theaircar.com/

Moteur Developpment International

Welcome to the future!

After fourteen years of research and development, Guy Negre has developed an engine that could become one of the biggest technological advances of this century. Its application to Compressed Air Technology(CAT) vehicles gives them significant economical and environmental advantages. With the incorporation of bi-energy (compressed air + fuel) the CAT Vehicles have increased their driving range to close to 2000 km with zero pollution in cities and considerably reduced pollution outside urban areas.
The application of the MDI engine in other areas, outside the automotive sector, opens a multitude of possibilities in nautical fields, co-generation, auxiliary engines, electric generators groups, etc. Compressed air is a new viable form of power that allows the accumulation and transport of energy. MDI is very close to initiating the production of a series of engines and vehicles. The company is financed by the sale of manufacturing licenses and patents all over the world