Air-powered cars are motorized by compressed air motors. These cars can be exclusively powered by air, or they can be combined with other types of fuels such as electricity, gasoline, or ethanol. The idea of the compressed air motors is to use the kinetic energy that stores compressed air in a tank under high pressure, around 30 megapascals (4351.13 pounds per square inch).

These motors are considered among the greenest that can be used in personal transportation methods and are considered very eco-friendly cars by both European and Indian standards. The refueling of the vehicle can be done at home or with a normal air compressor at service stations.

The same compressed air can also be used in air conditioning for heating or cooling the passengers. Adding to the environmental and economical benefits of the air-powered cars, these cars would help in the reduction and elimination of chemical and thermal hazards by gasoline and battery acids.

The major Indian automobile company, Tata Motors, has announced that they will begin selling these cars, dubbed the Tata Mini CAT car, in the world market during 2012. According to the designers, the car has keyless operating and an access card to open the car doors and to start driving. It seats six, and the maximum speed of the car is about 105 kilometers per hour (65.24 miles per hour).

The starting price of the Mini CAT car begins at about $12,700 USD in the Indian market and will be available around the globe. Tata is using a technology from the Luxembourgian Motor Development International company (MDI) to produce this type of car to be sold commercially around the world.

This car was manufactured after failing to market the first version of the car due to difficulties of limited range and low engine temperatures. Tata called the first version Tata OneCAT, which was produced between 2008 and 2009. Following that, all OneCat information has been removed from Tata and MDI’s websites.

Tata also has other green cars, such as the Indica Vista EV and the Tata Nano EV, which are fully electric vehicles. Indica Vista EV is available in Indian, Norwegian, British, and Spanish markets with a price around 30,000 Euros ($38,464.94 USD). MDI also produces a lot of air-powered vehicles, including AIRPod, OneFlowAIR, MiniFlowAIR, CityFlowAIR, and MultiFlowAIR.

All MDI products range from 1,000 euros to 9,000 euros ($1,284.13 to $11,545.25 USD), and the air refueling would cost around 2 euros per 300 kilometers. The spread of environmentally friendly cars, instead of petrol-fueled cars, will help sustain life on our planet and save natural resources.

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The Autoweek editors spend so much time behind so many steering wheels that it takes a special car or truck to stand out from the pack. This year, the Audi A7 and the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque did just that, and they have been named Autoweek’s Best of the Best/Car and Truck for 2012.

“With the A7, Audi has crafted a vehicle with few true peers by starting with stunning luxury-sedan design and marrying that to the functionality of a hatchback,” said Autoweek Editor Wes Raynal.

“The Evoque retains the luxury, refinement and off-road capability we’ve come to expect from Land Rover, combined with compact dimensions, carlike ride and efficiency that redefine the brand.”

Editors graded vehicles on drivetrain, ride quality, handling, exterior, interior design and fun factor. Points were tallied for each vehicle, and the car or truck garnering the most points took the win.

To be eligible for Autoweek’s Best of the Best honors, a vehicle had to be completely or substantially new – minor facelifts or mechanical updates didn’t count – and available to the general public. The Best of the Best process begins each January, with models unavailable at the end of the calendar year eligible for the following year’s contest.

Cars were defined as sedans, coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks and wagons, while trucks included classic pickups, crossovers, minivans and SUVs. Among the finalists were the Ford Focus, the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the Mercedes-Benz ML350 and the BMW X3.

The A7 and the Evoque were selected under the radar, without any manufacturer knowledge. No automaker saw the results, lobbied or provided specially prepped test vehicles.

Audi and Land Rover will be presented with their Best of the Best awards at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in early January, with the A7 and the Evoque featured in the Jan. 9 edition of Autoweek.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.landrover.com

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