Zero Pollution compressed Air Car set for U.S. launch in 2010

By Loz Blain

15:03 February 28, 2008




The Zero-Pollution MDI Air Car, invented in France and licensed by Tata Motors in India, is coming to American shores. Zero Pollution Motors have announced they will begin taking reservations for the first U.S. deliveries in the next couple of months, but it will be 2010 before Americans get their first taste of the ingenious compressed-air motor, which runs to 35mph entirely on air, or uses a trickle of petrol to heat and compress more air to reach higher speeds up to 90mph. It'll cost next to nothing to run (how do 30,000km service intervals sound?), have a range of up to 1000 miles, and retail for well under US$20,000.



We've written before about the promising potential of compressed air as the next energy storage medium for road cars, and it seems the concept is starting to gather some serious momentum. After signing a mass-production agreement with India's largest auto manufacturer, Zero Pollution has announced the beginning of a marketing push into the U.S.A.



Pre-orders for the air car will be taken in early 2008 on the Zero Pollution website, and initial U.S. deliveries for a 6-seater, 4-door, 75 hp, dual-energy MDI Air Car are anticipated for 2010.



The air car has also been one of the first entries in the multi-million dollar Automotive XPrize competition, which aims to reward innovators and inspire a new generation of super-efficient, 100mph+ vehicles to help free mankind from its oil addiction.

Check out our original look at the air car for more information on the amazing multifunction compressed air engine, as well as more information about the air car's development.

Pollution Free Car - nice to move around town in traffic jam !
Air Powered Car


Tata Motors is ready to introduce Air Car - Will it be the next big thing? Tata Motors is taking giant strides and making history for itself. First the Landrover/Jaguar deal, then the world's cheapest car, and now it is also set to introduce the car that runs on air, compressed air.








With spiralling fuel prices it is about time we heard some breakthrough!

India's largest automaker, Tata Motors, is set to start producing the world's first commercial air-powered vehicle.

The Air Car, developed by ex-Formula One engineer Guy Nègre for Luxembourg-based MDI, uses compressed air, as opposed to the gas-and-oxygen explosions of internal-combustion models, to push its engine's pistons. Some 6000 zero-emissions Air Cars are scheduled to hit Indian streets by August 2010.

The Air Car, called the "MiniCAT" could cost around Rs. 3,475,225 ($8,177.00) in India and would have a range of around 300km between refuels.

The cost of a refill would be about Rs. 85 ($2.00)

The MiniCAT which is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued, not welded, and a body of fiberglass powered by compressed air. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators, etc.

There are no keys - just an access card which can be read by the car from your pocket. According to the designers, it costs less than 50 rupees per 100km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where 80% of motorists drive at less than 60km. The car has a top speed of 105km/h.

Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air.
In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 100 rupees, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometres.



As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours.
Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000km).
The temperature of the clean air expelled by the exhaust pipe is between 0-15 degrees below zero,
which makes it suitable for use by the internal air conditioning system with no need for gases or loss of power.

Imagine a Lotus Flower with a Wheel suspended above or beside it; where the Lotus is a linear Electric Rail Motor, and the Wheel is or drives a generator. Spin the wheel it induces a current which powers the LERM which in turn propels the wheel which drives the generator, and so on....
Plug an electric motor into a power outlet and use it to drive a generator, feed the gain in electricity back into the grid !!!
Nikola Tesla proved the theory of the self sustainning electric dynamo about 100 years ago !!