We always welcome feedback and ideas regarding our macro-themes, and got a really good one following our discussion of electric cars last week. Another budding alternative idea is an air-powered car. We almost mentioned the industry in the previous look, but could find next to nothing about it. Fortunately one of our readers was able to shed some light in air-powered cars:

The same can be said about the air car [that the industry is starting to solidify] (google: air car france; air car australia). This is a technology only picked up by an Indian car company so far (Tata Motors). Why not here in the US? Why not Japan? Why not Korea? Perhaps it is because one company (MDI) has the 19 patents that are needed for immediate manufacture. One very unique thing the air car offers that the electric car cannot is air conditioning…the air coming out of the tanks running the engine is at -20 degrees F, which can be transferred to the cab. I think Steve Jobs should make a deal with MDI and manufacture the “iCar” in the US.

Thanks for the data and points to consider.

As surprising as it may sound, it’s true - Tata Motors (TTM) is indeed making and selling air-compression cars that work. Though it’s not a ‘pure play’, it’s a company with a hand in the industry. Here’s a quick look and description of the air car, which has been around for a year now.

Though the fact that the car works is impressive, the same can’t be said for the stock. The India-based auto-maker’s stock also trades on the NYSE with the ticker ‘TTM’.

Another serious contender in the game is Zero Pollution Motors. They’re not a publicly-traded company, but they expect to bring air-powered vehicles to the United States sometime in 2009 or 2010. The big difference between these cars and the functional electric cars already racing down our streets is the price tag. ZPM’s cars are expected to cost less than $20K a piece.

The downside to Zero Polution Motor’s cars is the same as Tata’s compression-powered cars….they look goofy. Open-minded drivers may not have a problem with their looks, but many U.S. drivers may not be willing to give up their full-sized normal cars.

Anybody else know of any companies working on air-compression powered cars? We found very few. Chime in below.

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