Air car hits pothole

But Deakin University still aims to have its innovative green car on show at next year's Shanghai Expo in China. Project leader Dr Bernard Rolfe is still optimistic the car will reach Shanghai but admits it will be slightly different to the form shown previously. Because of the funding shortfall the car is likely to take on a different shape.

"It will likely be more aerodynamic," he says.

"We are working on a light-weight structure."

A group of students initially won $30,000 for the university in a global competition sponsored by Ford in Detroit to design a 2015 Ford that would be the equivalent of the Model T in cost, application and ingenuity. The students called their car T2, for T-squared, a play on the original's name.

The burnt orange, three-wheeler was part of Ford's 100th anniversary celebrations to commemorate the original Model T. The three-wheeler is designed to run on compressed air and to turn 360 degrees on itself, to make inner-city parking easy in cities like Shanghai.

The president and chief executive officer of Ford Global Technologies, Bill Coughlin, was impressed with the calibre of the entries to push the boundaries of design and engineering.

"To date, there has never been a vehicle that has left such an impact on the lives of millions, and Ford challenged students to present an alternative that just might do so again," he says.

A full-size T2 mock-up model, funded by the Victorian Government, was created with help from C5 Systems, McDowell and Venn and Soldani Bros for Victoria's Automotive week and the Melbourne motor show earlier this year.

At the time the car needed about $1 million to reach a full-size working prototype. The Victorian Government has kicked in $100,000 to help and the university is now working with the Automotive Co-operative Research Centre to deliver the car in time.

Rolfe is confident the car will meet the Shanghai deadline. "It will be tight but we'll do it," he says.

He says he would be happy if an entrepreneur dipped in to help get the car to Shanghai.

"We are showing off Australia ingenuity on the world stage," he says.

"There are some good ideas with the car's technology."

Rolfe says the car will exhibit about $3 million worth of research and engineering knowhow. When Deakin planned the original T2, it was built to provide some innovative green solutions to modern motoring.

The small vehicle uses in-wheel motors that replace the conventional petrol engine, as well as compressed natural gas for longer distances.

The wheels are carbon fibre for strength and light weight and it is planned that the body will use a high-strength metal laminate material designed by Canberra firm Elaco.

The Elaco material is both lightweight and reasonably elastic to cope with minor impacts. The car met its goal of being similar to the original Model T. Like the Model T it is light, practical, compelling and cheap. Rolfe says the T2 has a projected price of $9000.