106 MPG Car; Runs on Air.

A car that runs on air and thought to reach over 100 mpg seems unreal, but according to an article posted on CNN's website:

"You've heard of hybrids, electric cars and vehicles that can run on vegetable oil. But of all the contenders in the quest to produce the ultimate fuel-efficient car, this could be the first one to let you say, "Fill it up with air." The compressed air car planned for the U.S. market would be a six-seater, a New York company says. That's the idea behind the compressed air car, a vehicle its backers say could achieve a fuel economy of 106 miles per gallon... Whether the engine uses just air or both air and fuel would depend on how fast the car is going. It would run purely on compressed air when driven at speeds less than 35 mph, Vencat said. Since the car could only go a short distance when using just air, fuel is needed to get the full range, he explained. 'Above 35 mph, there is an external combustion system which is basically a heater that uses a little bit of gasoline or biofuel or ethanol or vegetable oil that will heat the air,' Vencat said. Heating the air increases its volume, and by increasing its volume it increases [the car's] range. That's why with one gallon of gasoline or its equivalent we are able to make over 100 mpg."

Compared to the other mini smart cars (picture below), that get only 40 mpg this seems like a much better bargain. Considering that some full sized sedans are in the mid to low 30s the current smart car offering 40 mpg has too many sacrifices. If 100 mpg turns out to be true especially at a price tag of $18,000 for a 6 passenger car, this just maybe the hybrid car worth trying.