A firm in France, in 2003, and the TATA firm in India, in 2008, both announced that they had two models (small and big) ready to sell which could reach about 120km/h with a range of 200km.
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The technology, similar to steam engines (but with higher pressures) is simple.
With modern improvements, the range could likely be doubled.
Perhaps the government (with the Greens aboard) should offer a prize, plus tax concessions, to an entrepreneurial group of engineers (ex Ford, Holden?) to build say three sizes of such engines.
Then, one or more of our abandoned car plants who have been good at building boes, running gear etc, could make a range of Aussie cars to run on air.
They would be much safer (no combustion), need no engine cooling, no fancy exhaust system, no air filter and probably much simpler transmissions, so should be much cheaper than electric or fuel-cell types.
Plus, service stations already provide ‘free air’ for tyres; they could all install a “bowser” to sell high pressure air, even using some solar power for their compressors.
Bert Adams
Kooringal
Show us the money
The sale of government assets should be flowing into regional areas after years of regional neglect.
It is time to have regional people treated more fairly.
Imagine the stimulus to many Murray River towns if the Victorian and NSW governments allocated money from the sale of Snowy Hydro to cross-border infrastructure.
It is time for some joint pressure on the NSW and Victorian governments from regions along the Murray River. It is time to make these towns remarkable places to live, work and holiday from Albury-Wodonga to Mildura/Buronga/Wentworth.
Cross-border politicians should be far more united.
Regions must now “thrive not just survive”, as the NSW Premier has stated.
Stuart Davie
Corowa
Dollars but no sense
The city of Melbourne has approached the state government of Victoria and the AFL with a proposal to spend $300 million of taxpayer money to redevelop Etihad Stadium.
The federal government has just spent billions of taxpayers’ money buying out state government shares of the Snowy Mountain Hydro system, which in all probability will be privatised in future.
Given the afore-mentioned one would be forgiven for thinking the state and federal governments are flush with money.
So how is it that they cannot find sufficient funds to repair the Albury-Melbourne rail corridor?
It's enough to make one weep.
The only time the management of this country makes any sense to me is when I'm drunk.
Kevin T Cooper
Wodonga
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