I had already talked about the Air compressed car recently. This time acording to BusinessGreen blog by 2009-2010 this car will be available on the North American market. MDI is the US representative Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM). They said that the car will cost around $17,800. There’ll be 2 models available (3 and 6 seets).
The CityCat is running at the compressed air only at low speed (about 20 MPH). At the higher speeds the car burn a little of gasoline (still the emissions are only 0.158lbs of CO2 per mile). The engine is 75hp and the range is between 800 and 1,000 miles on a single tank of air. The engine can be can be powered by conventional petrol, ethanol, or bio-fuels. The Age says the cars can go 68 MPH and has a range of 93 miles or, if the compressed air is heated, potential ranges of thousands of miles.
“MDI sold the rights to build and sell the car in India to Indian car manufacturer Tata last year in a €20m deal. “The fact that Tata bought the first for India has given us an infusion of capital that will allow us to finish the car,” said Vencat, who expects to open the first US manufacturing plant in New York.”
BBC News has done a report on the Air Car recently. Actualy there has been 2 reports:
- First, release: The BBC confirms that the car will be released by the “end of year” (as the Age reported) and that the car will be released in India and also in Europe.
- Second release: The price: only 3,500 Euros. Lastly, details: The BBC News also says the car will go 124 miles on a fill-up that will cost 1.5 Euros and will take just a few minutes. This is not a neighborhood electric vehicle because the car will have a top speed of 68 MPH.
Download a video of the engine functionality here:
Tags: MDI Guy Negre Compressed Air Car Zero Polution
Via: Autoblogreen
Thanks for all information. Nice web site…
All of the prototypes pictured above have been postponed.
MDI has downsized their prototypes to a golf cart like vehicle called the AirPod. It was due out in Spring 2009.
Just like all other MDI product releases announced in the past, the Spring 2009 pilot production of the AirPod didn’t happen.
In other news, MDI is no longer registered for the Progressive Automotive X-Prize competition.
For a very long time the US Distributor, Zero Pollution Motors said they would start taking orders in mid-2009 for delivery of a 6 passenger car in 2010. Around July the website was stripped of info and continues to have a note that it is “being updated”. MDI declines to estimate when they will introduce a car into USA.
Charlie,
Me too I’m quite inpatient to see those cars hit the market. There will be some testing done by Air France this spring.
http://www.best-solar-energy.com/green-power/mdi-together-for-testing-airpods-with-air-france-klm/
-:)
This is finaly something real…..
Cheers
Vladan
BBC news has other reports on this car.
Notably is the EIGHT YEAR OLD article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/africa/988265.stm
Reads very much the same as the latest reports.
Zero Pollution Motors and MDI are going to bring out the car in about 18 months (2002). The operating range is 200km/120 miles. Top speed is about 70mph. The only thing different about this 8 year press release is that MDI and Zero Pollution Motors call the call e.Volution and it achieves this performance using only compressed air. Quote of Helen Brown of Zero Pollution Motors: “the first cars off the production line and onto the salesroom floor by early 2002.”
Also “There are currently two factories in France, with the first models expected on the streets later this year” (That would be 2000).
Where are these cars? What happened? Why are we seeing almost identical press releases 8 years later?
This engine technology is quite possibly a revolution in motorized transportation. The MDI dual-energy engines are actually a multi-mode compressed air and liquid fuel engine with 4 operating modes: http://www.mdi.lu/english/moteurs.php
For a better understanding of why this technology is so critical to our future, check out: http://www.thefuture.net.nz
You will quite possibly find this the most informative URL for this technology and it’s all-around application.
Thanks: gnomaedh
http://www.thefuture.net.nz
gnomaedhs last blog post..MDI Dual-Energy – 4 Modes of Operation?
I am no environmental wacko by a long shot and don’t believe in all the hype about man-made global warming; now being called man-made climate change since global warming couldn’t be proven and the Earth is starting to cool again…all a hoax. With that said, this is a GREAT idea and should be embraced by U.S. industry, government and any commuter becaue IT MAKES SENSE. That it takes less energy isn’t an environmental issue, its an economic issue and the environmental part is just a bonus.
Any body with the IQ of a 90 knows that we need to help keep polutants down and use energy wisely. Unlike electric cars that are nothing more than a band-aid to our energy issues and don’t help the environment, this car actually WORKS on both an economic and environmental front thus making it a viable PART of the solution to energy independence. Green gas, hydro-electric, and other multi-purpose solutions that also make sense need to be implemented along side these types of vehicles….no more foreign oil, increased national security, and a cleaner environment…..makes sense completely…..BECAUSE ITS VIABLE TODAY AND WORKS WITH OUR ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE….call you elected officials today.
I’d love to have one too… -:)… But wait, when they’ll hit the market, it’ll be like tornado….. It’s a LITTLE revolution. And I like revolutions….
Vladan
i really cant wait for this car to be released. Im big on global warming and i dont want to use gas. Support for this car is needed too bad its coming in late 2009 or 2010 i want it now