Why compressed air? If we want a new technology to be able to replace diesel or petrol (gasoline) powered cars, it is of the utmost importance that its performance is virtually the same. Think about: affordable, light, quick to refuel, good acceleration, long driving distance on one refuel, safe, comfortable, low maintenance costs, durable, driven on an economical/inexpensive fuel, and recyclable. If we want to have 1 million CO²-free cars by 2020 in the Netherlands, these are the necessary properties for a "pollution free" car. Air is free and is everywhere around us, and compressed air can be produced and stored at home as well as by local governments,

Filling up your car will then be a question of minutes, and will work in the same way as with LPG. By making the drive electric, through a compressed air generator, the driving properties of the car (acceleration and efficiency) will become considerably better. We will no longer be dependent on expensive and heavy batteries, long loading times and expensive loading stations. And the price of a compressed air/electric hybrid car… that could maybe even be half of the price of a full-electric car. That’s why: the compressed air car!

Compressed air, didn’t that have a low efficiency ratio in production? That is a question that is often heard. This question is based on the heat that is generated with the production of compressed air that partly determines the total efficiency ratio. Compressed air can be produced directly from the electricity supply in our homes. But this can also be done by using solar panels or less expensive solar foils. The heat that is generated by a water-cooled compressor can even be stored in a boiler, like a solar collector does. In the industry in many cases, this is being done already. And if these companies have an excess of compressed air, they could also become a compressed air fuel station for there employees, and other private persons.

This regeneration of heat can take place at home as well. This will completely change the efficiency ratio. Special hot-fill installations, used for direct warm water supply for washing machines and dishwashers have been in use for some time, and have proven to save a lot of energy. Obviously this hot water could also be used for the shower. This could also be applied on a larger scale, as for instance in an apartment building which uses one central heating system. Generate compressed air, store it in large underground containers (like the ones used for recycling glass), and use the heat for the central heating system of a building.

But generating compressed air with the use of a windmill combined with a rotary screw compressor could also be a possibility. Compressed air technology is closer than we think. For example compressed air tanks have been in use in the diving industry for many years. These tanks have a pressure of 2900 or even 4350 psi. These again are well-known and tested technologies.