I've never been a huge fan of the Smart Car. To me it really just looked like a really overhyped golf cart and impractical, however there's no denying it's fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

It seems Tata, an Indian car manufacturer, are aiming to give the Smart Car a run for its money. At least that's the first thought that came to mind when I saw a photo of the little OneCAT, Tata's latest brainchild, that only weighs 350 kg. The company's newest technological developments allows the car to run on compressed air (yes, you read that right) at low speeds, meaning you can travel about 200 to 300 kilometers for about £1 (yes, you read that right too). Conventional fuels are burned in small quantities when the car reaches higher speeds, and a full tank of air can last for up to 10 hours. You can forget about frequent trips to Jiffy Lube since an oil change is needed only every 30,000 miles or so.

One industry expert points out that it will be important to factor in the amount of energy required to manufacture the car and compress the air for it. Meanwhile, I'm skeptical about the thought of driving something that is, as one reader put it, "the equivalent of blowing up a giant balloon and strapping it to a car and letting it go." I also remember recently going to refill my car tires and being shocked that a gas station would actually charge me for air. Though it's undoubtedly cheaper than conventional fuel, if this concept actually caught on, I'm sure it would only be a matter of time before these same stations would start gouging consumers.

Is air going to replace the biofuels and electric cars of the future? I'm not holding my breath - yet.

» Times Online