Saving the environment has never looked so sh*t!

smash

Seriously, why do all these environmental cars look like they've been designed by remedials?

Here's the latest range from Tata:

Mini CAT's top speed is around 60 miles per hour while its range is about 185 miles.

The Mini CAT's body is glued fiberglass, as opposed to welded metal, which makes it extremely lightweight...The Mini CAT uses just one liter of vegetable oil in its tubular chassis, which must be changed every 30,000 miles or so.
Charging and running the Mini CAT costs about one tenth what a gasoline car costs. The car's compressed air tank can be filled at home in three or four hours with its onboard compressor. India will have adapted air compressors at gas stations, which for about 100 rupees or $2.49 can fill your compressed air tank in two - three minutes

Removing the very very few decent environmental cars like the Tesla, why can't someone design something nice looking? I just don't understand it.

Anan1

Aren't those very cheap cars?

smash

Anan1 wrote: »

Aren't those very cheap cars?

I think the base price will be $8,200... so probably around €20,000

Chuck Stone

Top left doesn't look too bad.

Alanstrainor

I actually burst out laughing when I opened this thread...hahahahaha

seamus

Some designers seem to have this idea that electric cars are required to look like they did in a 1970's "Look into the future" TV programme.

Anan1

Anan1 wrote: »

Aren't those very cheap cars?

12k aussie dollars says google

Are they aimed at the Indian market? If so I'm not overly bothered what they look like tbh.

SilverBell

They are more for the Indian domestic market, where Tata have caught onto the fact that they get the price down similar to a Hero Honda 100 motorcycle, then people, especially family men, will buy a car.

They are not primarily designed to "save the environment", but to appeal to the cost conscious Indian motorist. Saving the environment is a secondary effect.

As for looks, its a revelation compared to the Tuk Tuks or Bajaj 3 wheelers.

Fiona

I actually would not be able to drive one of these. Public transport, foot power, bike, anything but one of them :eek:

jimgoose

These yokes are primarily aimed at getting more of the Asian Subcontinent onto four wheels. Sure they look a bit daft, but to the average Indian family who could hitherto aspire to a Tuc-Tuc at best, they could be Aston Martins!

biko

Tata is sold mainly in India but yeah they're not great looking compared to current European cars.
I suppose it's a "function before form" thing.

smash

I can only imagine what Lipu would do if he got his hands on one.

Guy:Incognito

smash wrote: »

I can only imagine what Lipu would do if he got his hands on one.

Lower the NCAP rating from zero deep in to the minus figures I'd imagine.

KTRIC

Correct me if I'm wrong but does it say that its running on compressed air ???

Wossack

KTRIC wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong but does it say that its running on compressed air ???

correct!

the films arent going to be the same really.. hero pulls the lady out of the burning MiniCat, and just manages to get her to safety before the air tank bursts, and the car flies into the air, making the BBBTTTTHHHBBPPPTTTBBBHHHH noise of a deflating balloon

:pac:

Jimbob 83

These car's are designed for emerging markets, simple enough to understand really.

cjt156

Its the modern equivalent of the hair-shirt;
'look at me in my ugly car aren't I great saving all the little baby polar bears?'
Same reason Tofu tastes like sh!te...

bijapos

Most Tata's look sh1te so its nothing new.

Either way the air pressure motor could be the biggest thing in over 100 years of motoring if true. The idea and crude forms of the technology have been around for some time but getting it to run in practise is a whole new ball game, it could be we will all be driving one of these in 20 years or it could just peter out. Interesting all the same.

Its not surprising to see India going this way, the technology means a country like that would be far less dependant on oil imports, important when you've over 1,000,000,000 people looking to get in and drive a car.

The taxi derivative is interesting too, I remember seeing FIAT with a car like this based on the Punto as a concept in the early 90's, no boot, 3 seats and baggage stored where the passenger seat is, never took off, but that Tata uses the idea of the London Taxi quite well.

Tata Motors and ex-Formula One engineer Guy N. from a Luxembourg MDI have come up with a car that runs on air. Dubbed the Tata Mini CAT, or Air Car, the environmentally-friendly car uses no petrol, requires little maintenance and has a range of around 300km between re-gassing. Tata hopes to have it on the market in India in 2012.

The way the Air Car is propelled is fairly straight forward. There are two tanks of compressed air which turn an almost-conventional piston motor and drive system. The system is said to propel the small van to a top speed of around 105km/h.


Tata says the Air Car stores enough compressed air to offer around 300km worth of motoring. Users will then be able to re-gas the car at certain filling stations that are equipped with special tanks of compressed air, in around three to four minutes for around $2. It will also come with its own generator pack which can be used at home capable of re-gassing the tanks in around four hours.

The vehicle itself is a six-seat mini van using two 340-litre carbon fibre gas tanks which are filled with air to 4350psi. It also uses a tubular chassis design with fibreglass panels that are glued together, helping to keep weight down.

All the accessories and in-car equipment are powered by a microprocessor. From the exhaust the only thing that is emitted is air, of around zero to minus 15 degrees in temperature.
Tata is aiming to release the Mini CAT Air Car in India next year with prices starting at around AUS$12,700.

inforfun

bijapos wrote: »

Most Tata's look sh1te so its nothing new.

Indeed.
They all poison the horizon. Whether they run on air or baby seals

seamus

using two 340-litre carbon fibre gas tanks which are filled with air to 4350psi.

Hmm.

I'm not keen to see what it looks like when 340L of air @ 4,350psi explosively decompresses.

Chuck Stone

bijapos wrote: »

Its not surprising to see India going this way, the technology means a country like that would be far less dependant on oil imports, important when you've over 1,000,000,000 people looking to get in and drive a car.

Those compressors need to be powered and they're probably powered by electricity from hydrocarbon fired generation stations.

I believe the principle rationale for using compressed air propelled cars is to keep cities free from car created air pollution.

More here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVIwropRMME

hardCopy

KTRIC wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong but does it say that its running on compressed air ???

It's powered by farts.

Owen

I posted Chuck's video a few months back. It's suprisingly not that hard to engineer a compressed air tank that can deform properly in an accident. I thought it'd be a tough one to do. Seems like a sensible way to power a car for the shorter journeys, tiny compressor on board, tanks underneath. Much more sensible than renting your battery, or paying 40k for an impractical milk float.

TL;DR: I'd buy a compressed air car if it didn't look 'special' purely for running and around the city. Plus, it'd be neat to see if the Government would tax air as a result.

SilverBell

hardCopy wrote: »

It's powered by farts.

Its a brave man who farts in India.;)