French green car firm MDI has revealed its plans to release air powered cars in the U.S. The company, founded by former Formula One engineer Guy Negre has developed an engine which it claims can run purely on air. It has revealed that it would license its technology to a number of regional licensees who actually will build and operate these air powered around the world.
Cars due to ship include the three-seater OneCat, the 96mph, and the six-seater CityCat. Meanwhile, the MDI’s U.S. representative Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) has said that it will cost around $17,800 when it ships in the U.S. in 2009-10.
The cars are said to be only fully air-powered at lower speeds. Above 20mph, the 75hp CityCat begins burning small amounts of fuel to heat the compressed air and increase the vehicle’s range. The vehicle emits just 0.158lbs of CO2 per mile when using the burner, which can be powered by conventional petrol, ethanol, or bio-fuels, the ZPM said.
According to Shiva Vencat, vice president of MDI and chief executive of the ZPM, the car will take roughly an hour to charge, and will run anywhere between 800 and 1,000 miles on a single tank of air.
Vencat has the rights to build the first plant in the U.S. and the first manufacturing plant may come up in New York. The company is also looking for investors for the rest of the €300,000 licenses to build plants across the U.S. There will be an average of more than one plant per state, he said.
MDI has sold the rights to build and sell the air powered car in India to Indian automotive giant Tata Motors last year in a €20m deal.
February 21st, 2009 at 11:02 pm
This is ANCIENT news.
MDI and Zero Pollution Motors first announced “production soon” of an air car, the e.Volution, back in 2000! With production to take place in France in 2001 and in South Africa in 2002. We’re still waiting for those cars, as we are still waiting for the MDI Eolo car (Italy 2003/4) and the Mexico City Taxis (MDI, 2002/3); just as we are still waiting for the cars by MDI that were to go into production in 2005/2006.
Google “e.Volution” or “MDI air car production” to confirm the above statements.
Your story did mention a very key item — that MDI doesn’t plan to build cars, but instead is relies for income uponlicensing and the sale of franchises as well as gullible investors.