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Gasoline has been the main source of fuel for the history of vehicles, and is becoming more and more expensive. Vehicle manufacturers are leading more to developing vehicles that are fueled by alternative energies. Two hybrid cars took to the road in 2000, and in three or four years fuel-cell-powered cars will roll onto the world's highways.
While gasoline prices in the United States have not yet reached their highest point, they have climbed steeply. Cost is not the only problem with using gasoline as our primary fuel. It is also damaging to the environment, and since it is not a renewable resource, it will eventually run out.
A possible alternative is the air-powered car. There are at least two ongoing projects that are developing a new type of car that will run on compressed air. You could soon see the first air-powered vehicle. It will most like be the e.Volution car that is being built by Zero Pollution Motors, in Brignoles, France. The vehicles have generated a lot of interest in recent years, and the Mexican government has already signed a deal to buy 40,000 e.Volutions to replace gasoline and diesel powered taxis in the heavily polluted Mexico City.
Makers of the e.Volution are marketing the vehicle as a low pollution or zero pollution vehicle. However, there is still some debate as to what the environmental impact of these air-powered vehicles will be. Manufacturers suggest that because the vehicle runs on air they are environmentally friendly. Critics of the air-powered car idea say that the cars only move the air pollution from the car's exhaust to somewhere else, like an electrical power plant. These vehicles do require electricity in order for the air to be compressed inside the tanks, and fossil fuel power is needed to supply electricity.
The e.Volution is powered by a two-cylinder, compressed-air engine. It can run either on compressed air alone or act as an internal combustion engine. Compressed air is stored in carbon or glass fiber tanks at a pressure of 4,351 pounds per square inch (psi). This air is fed through an air injector to the engine and flows into a small chamber, which expands the air. The air pushing down on the pistons moves the crankshaft, which gives the vehicle power.
Zero Pollution Motors is also working on a hybrid version of their engine that can run on traditional fuel in combination with air. The change of energy source is controlled electronically. When the vehicle moves at speeds below 60 kph, it runs on air. At higher speeds, it runs on a fuel, such as gasoline, diesel or natural gas.
There are air tanks fixed to the underside of the vehicle that can hold about 79 gallons (300 liters) of air. This compressed air can fuel the e.Volution for up to 124 miles (200 km) at a top speed of 60 miles per hour (96.5 kph). When the tank nears empty, you can just pull over and fill the e.Volution up at the nearest air pump. Using a household electrical source, it takes about four hours to refill the compressed air tanks. However, a rapid three-minute recharge is possible, using a high-pressure air pump.
The motor does require a small amount of oil, about .8 liters worth that the driver will have to change just every 31,000 miles (50,000 km). The vehicle will be equipped with an automatic transmission, rear wheel drive, rack and pinion steering and a 9.5 foot (2.89 m) wheel base. It will weigh about 1,543 pounds (700 kg) and will be about 12.5 feet (3.81 m) long, 5.7 feet (1.74 m) tall, and 5.6 feet (1.71 m) wide.