A French inventor has developed an hybrid automobile that runs on compressed air for its primary energy source, any number of other liquid fuels for the "gas" component.
Guy Nègre, a French inventor and former French Formula One driver, has successfully developed an "air engine" powered by compressed air, and has now begun to take this technology to the market.
This technology has been under development for over 15 years, but had not been previously viable, due to technology limitations (efficiency, practicality). Like existing hybrids, the gas component kicks in over certain speeds to get the efficiency, but does not require massive battery power like the hybrids currently being used.
The MiniCat, achieves speeds of 150 kmph (90+ mph), and has a range of 65+ miles on a single charge. When operating exclusively on compressed air & the electricity required for recharges, you can essentially run 100+ miles on less than 3 dollars. In addition, the Minicat is designed to have a low cost of ownership, which is increasingly important to adapting clean technologies.
The MiniCat will be sold in India this year, under the make of Tata Motors, as well as Australia.
The Air Car
French News Interview with Guy Négre (In French)
Le Blog Auto (In French)