As an aside, these values probably have changed since the book used as reference was printed (1982), but here are a couple of elements with respect to energy conversion efficiencies:

Solar cell (eh hem): a whopping 11% (~20% noted for recent values)
Automobile engine: 26%
Diesel engine: 37%
Steam turbine: 46%
Storage battery: 73%
Dry cell battery: 91%
Large electric motor (like what would be used for the air compressor): 93%

So, you put a 'large electric motor' powered by a 'dry cell battery' driving a compressed air system, you probably couldn't get worse than an 'automobile engine' in efficiency if you tried.

I'd rather go for the electric car system but the problem is that despite the battery efficiencies (which aren't the problem here) - it is amount of current and how many batteries it takes to get it to generate the required energy - 1.21 gigawatts (oh, wrong car).  ;)  Current fully electric cars have like a battery weight of between 500 and 850 POUNDS (!!) to get respectable power and distance.

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

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