A moped or scooter, powered by either a compressed-air or compressed-air hybrid engine. The idea came to me because the scooter company MBK, formerly Motobecane, recently stopped production of its Mobylette, the 49 or 50cc moped that became so popular in the sixties and seventies. The reason: the engine doesn't pass environmental muster. There have been a number of companies that have been experimenting with C.A. or hybrid C.A. engines in India (Tata), France (Zero Pollution Motors), Australia (Engineair), and other countries.The moped or scooter has long been a transportation staple around the globe, and I believe that the demand for this kind of inexpensive and easily maintained transportation will continue. Why not take the moped or scooter in an environmentally responsible direction? I'm sure MBK still has the tooling for the old mopeds, as well as their existing scooter line. I've seen photos of some of these C.A. engines, and they're generally rather small. It seems that it would be a relatively minor task to modify pre-existing tools and dies to work with a C.A. engine. There's a lot of talk about tiny, cheap cars, but even these are too expensive for the average Third-World pocketbook. Give the people what they want, and reduce pollution at the same time - bring back the Mobylette!
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Small, cheap electric scooters are popular in the US these days and I would think that this option would be too, provided they are quiet and have decent range. They have the advantage that they would work virtually forever with little maintenance. By contrast, electrics have to eventually replace the batteries, which can be expensive.
To get good range, they'll need to have much higher pressure than a regular air compressor delivers. The size and cost of the compressor would be vital to the acceptance of this product. The scooter could have a small onboard compressor. That would allow you to recharge it anywhere there is electricity. However, a separate leave-at-home unit would make the scooter lighter and would allow more space for a bigger tank. Also, a separate compressor would make the scooter itself cheaper. This would save you money if you buy mutiple scooters, as you would only need to buy one compressor. The compressor could have its own tank, which would enable quick filling. In a pinch, you could use an air compressor at a gas station, though you wouldn't get a full pressure charge. If it's a moped, you could of course pedal if it runs out of air. Personally, I would prefer the leave-at-home compressor design.
Compressors are noisy, heavy and slow. And like Dwane said, if you want more utilization, you'll need to carry it with you. I have a half-horsepower tankless compressor that is larger than a lunch box and weighs ten pounds. And for you to get the thousands of psi that are required for this type of tank.
Also, the regulators would be a problem in areas where it freezes--I have trouble with humidity in my garage compressor because when it freezes it can cause damage.
I think if you could just 'fill up' from a gas station or something, it would be more manageable, but if you're thinking of a solution to a new moped, a four-stroke engine is much easier to drop in.
Good comments. I would think that a C.A./gas hybrid might be the answer. You would start with a smaller, cleaner version of the typical 50cc two-stroke, if that's feasible; you might even get away with a smaller engine; the engine could use some of its power to recharge the compressor over a certain number of miles, then the compressor could kick in as needed or desired.I'm not an engineer, but I'm sure there are smaller, cleaner more fuel-efficient engines out there that could run on unleaded or ethanol or a mix, without adding oil to the fuel. I think people got stuck on the typical moped engine for a very simple reason: everyone was already tooled-up for it, so it was convenient.The scooter/moped I envision wouldn't go over 30mph, would be self-contained (a separate compressor would not be needed), would be easy to maintain and would have pedals that could be used to propel the bike - or even recharge the compressor to some extent. It wouldn't be the fastest or most quiet thing on the road, and its range might be limited, but it would be fuel-efficient and reasonably priced.
I just found this compressed air moped article. Thought you might like to see it.
cool link dwane. I wonder how safe the two tanks of 4000 psi are are sitting there by his feet?
How does he put his feet down?