Air powered cars reality

Science fiction is set to be turned into fact with a new air-powered car from Peugeot. It will demonstrate its hybrid air technology at Paris Motor Show when it unveils a 208 partly on petrol and partly on compressed air resulting in fuel economy topping 1.68l/100km. A compressed air tank beneath the boot stores energy, while the vehicle’s engine management system swaps between petrol and air for maximum efficiency. At times, particularly in city centres, the engine can run on air alone. The driver can also select a driving mode that forces the car to use air as much as possible. The air tank can be recharged in as little as 10 seconds either through deceleration or by direct pumping from the engine. The complex nature of the drivetrain means it’s only available in automatic, but Peugeot says that’s better for efficiency anyway. The marque has cut the weight of the 208 to 860kg by making heavy systems, such as power steering, superfluous to help reduce weight further.