A compressed air car? Could be here sooner than you would think

Tell me if this sounds too good to be true – a car that can be filled up for $3, can go 125 miles between fill-ups, and is non-polluting. That’s what we could see as a result of a new partnership between French company MDI, and Tata Motors. Tata is the company that is about to launch a $2,500 car.

This particular marvel of efficiency will be called the Mini CAT, and it will achieve such efficiency because it will be powered by compressed air. This is no amateur show, either – the car is designed by a former Formula One engineer (though I doubt it will go that fast).

Additional power beyond the compressed air is captured using brake power recovery. This seems like a bit of a dream, but the cars will reportedly start to appear in India and Europe later this year at a cost of around $7,000. Not bad. The granola set will be thrilled with this car, and even happier about a plan for future models – a body made out of varnished hemp.