The cheapest versions won't have air-conditioning or power steering, but Tata hopes its cute looks will make up for missing creature comforts--just as happened with the VW Beetle and the Mini long before it.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Its boss calculated that, if his firm hooked up all its power-hungry computers and servers, it would fuse the air-conditioning.

ECONOMIST: Wiring the office

In practice, people "can't be bothered" in the UK to make changes, says Prof Anderson, partly because energy is too cheap, and partly because we don't use as much power-hungry air conditioning equipment as other countries.

BBC: Technology

Utilities would be better off storing power in flywheels, or as ice for air-conditioning systems, he says.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Even in places where power was not disrupted, people with no air-conditioning were advised to spend the day in a library, a cooling center or some other such place to avoid heat exhaustion.

CNN: SHARE THIS

Millions of people were left in the dark, with no power, no telephones, no internet, and no air-conditioning during the worst heat wave in years.

FORBES: The U.S. enters the 20th century: why we can't keep the electricity on

The latter would enable long-haul truckers to plug in to power their air conditioning systems, TVs, etc.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: I.S.O. energy security

In fact, Mitsumi says these can be integrated into the RF sensor network of large air conditioning facilities, as an RF transmitter can run on very little power these days -- even less than a calculator.

ENGADGET: Mitsumi exhibits micro-vibration power generator and batteryless RF switch (video)

Stanway's traders are buying power in load blocks of 250 to 300 megawatts--enough current to keep the air-conditioning and lights on at more than 200 superstores, depending on the weather (and enough to power 250, 000 homes).

FORBES: Discount Juice