What problem does your design idea solve?
·Typical Hybrid cars run on gas and batteries; two fuel sources. Now they carry the heavy loads of an internal combustible engine, gasoline fuel, alternator and storage batteries.
·Solar cars have the same problems; the weight of solar panels, alternator / battery charger and storage batteries.
·Both type cars must recharge or re-fuel. Drivers must ensure their destination is within reach and continue to pay at the pump.
The Solar – Air Car removes the heavy weight; removes costs of fuel; and provides easy-upgrades by recoating the surface with latest thin-film efficient PV technologies.

What are the potential benefits?
The cost of the Solar – Air Car is sub-divided by having a vehicle that does not get re-fueled; made of recycled metals; does not pollute the air.

How is your idea novel or an improvement on what is currently available in the marketplace?
The Solar – Air Car is a multi-tasking Electric Vehicle:

EV1 – Structural, lightweight frame and shell; Motor Development International - MDI http://www.mdi.lu/english/ has a composite frame and runs on compressed air and is manufactured in France.

EV2 – The shell can be adapted made from recycled aluminum panels with thin-film [CIGS] solar technologies, which can continuously refill the compressed air tanks while the car bakes in the hot parking lot. Long distant road trips have replenished air pumped back into the air tanks; or at night, an electric outlet will “top-off the tank”.
·Nanosolar http://www.nanosolar.com/ ; copper indium gallium selenide
·Konarka Technologies http://www.konarka.com/
·Innovalight http://www.innovalight.com/

EV3 –Pollution and burning fuel is non-existent. Compressed air that is expelled sometime is cleaner that the surrounding highway smog.

EV4 – Colorful and low maintenance coatings have embedded nano-chip sensors that records electrical efficiency; a 15+ year usage notification and the coating is re-finished with an upgraded advanced thin-film PV technology coating.

EV5 – No more fuel costs.

·Where would this idea be applied? What is the market potential?
Single passenger cars daily trip to work; get fully recharged in the sunny parking lot; absorbing the solar PV energy. When air tanks are filled, solar generated electricity is returned to the grid.

·How does your design work? How would your product be manufactured?
MDI vehicle manufacturer applies painted finishes PV thin-film coating technologies. Processes are automated and minimize redundant routine tasks. Or garage mechanics can “retro-adapt the PV shell” to the MDI body.

·How would the production cost compare with products already in the marketplace?
By using one product to solve multiple needs, the Life-Cycle Costs can be lowered exponentially.

The best design benefits are NOT having to:
·Extract, transport and process oil or bio-fuels.
·Burn fuels that cause heat, air-pollution and residual wastes.
·Build infrastructure of fuel stations.
·Destroy and consume natural resources and transportation costs,

Building the Solar – Air Car will put America back to work.