French inventor invents air car and will sell it in India, China this year and in France in 2009? Why not USA?

Question

See video on youtube: http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=QmqpGZv0YT4. If we add solar panels to roof of air car couldn't the air compressor recharge air tanks at any time of day and never have to stop to fill air tanks.

Answer 1

It has been said the air car would not pass minimum crash tests to be sold in the United States.  I think a great legal challenge to that rule is the motorcycle as hundred of thousands of them are sold to anyone who wants to buy one.  A motorcycle would not pass any car crash car test and yet a motorcycle can be made street legal anywhere in the United States.

Answer 2

There was just no demand here for anything other than big SUVs and smaller cars that could still handle American freeways well.  We have always had small fuel efficient cars gathering dust in auto showrooms but people walked past them and got the SUVs they hoped would impress their friends.

The compressed  air powered car has limited range, power and speed but compressed air cars may have a future as second cars in families where a commuter car would be used for some errands and a bigger vehicle could do other jobs like longer trips or when more passengers or groceries need to be carried. They would probably not sell well while gas is still 3 dollars per gallon but as the price goes to 4,,,5,,,and 6 dollars people will re think electric cars and compressed air at least for second cars

Answer 3

I think this will never happen in USA because this auto need to be very light and it is build with fiber glass which would never pass safety requirements. But for only $7000 euros I would still buy it if they were sold here. Maybe golf courses can use this technology on their golf carts. Solar panels should work on them.

Answer 4

I saw the video on youtube and History channel. Your link did not work, but if you go to youtube.com and search for air car you will see several videos.The cars look cool and they pertty fast and sizable. They said in video that car comes with air compressor inside car and you can plug it in at home for 4 hours to recharge or if there are special air compressors at gas stations you can fill the tanks in 3 minutes. I don't see why interior compressor couldn't be connected to solar panels and work all they to keep tanks full.

Answer 5

The reason it will not sell here is because we all know that the Internal Combustion Engine is not an outdated and dirty technology.........naw, the oil companies will put a stop to this one.

Answer 6

Same reason most efficient vehicles aren't sold in US; there isn't enough market for them.    Look at the mini- its huge compared to the ones driving around europe.

Answer 7

Ask the FAA ?

Answer 8

these air powered cars will not pass crash test in the US due to there construction

these cars are made of materials that are glued together.

some companies in the US are looking at using the idea and building a US version that is a lot better build for the US market.

there also are companies in the US that are looking at building a air hybrid with a small gas or diesel engine to charge the air tank instead of charging batteries.

this may be the best use of air power due to the lite weight of the air tanks. it would make a very lite hybrid compared to a battery type hybrid giving it much more mpg.

Answer 9

Obviously, he hasn't found investors that believe in it enough to market it here. Probably has to do with the laws of Physics and Economics.

Answer 10

Probably too much of a battle against the oil industries. Between the car manufacturers and the oil industries - they have the market right where they want it.

Cars could have been super-efficient years ago - but there was more profit in making them fuel-hungry.

Answer 11

Vehicles powered by compressed air have been around for about a hundred years.  There used to be air-powered locomotives.  It's just another energy-storage medium.  You need one h**l of a strong tank to store enough energy to go anywhere.  The rest of the machinery is easy.  But the air compressors that fill the tank have to be powered by really impressive engines: that's where the power comes from.  

Present-day solar cells won't power much of anything--certainly not an air compressor--no matter how hard you wish.  When did you last see solar cells power anything more muscular than a traffic signal?

Answer 12

French cars have never done well in the US, why should this one be any different.

Answer 13

Probably because it's not feasible here.(Too expensive,hard to maintain,too cumbersome,etc)