The MDI Air Car
Juniper Foo | Jan 04, 2005
Here's a car you fill up… with air! While everyone's looking to fuel cells and electric batteries to power the car of the future, French inventor Guy Negre has announced a vehicle that'll not only tap an abundant energy source, it will also result in the cleanest--and cheapest--car to go on the roads. Packed with a hybrid air compression engine, the Air Car is capable of top speeds of 110kmh and claims to cost just 1.5 euros for a full tank of air. Can this new concept car lift off or will it be just so much hot air? We'll know when the Air Car rolls off the assembly lines some time this year.
Other alternative powered cars: OxyRide | CyberCar | Honda Fuel Cell Scooter | Honda FCX Fuel Cell Car
Price: N.A.
Availability: 2005, Europe, by MDI
Device: Air-powered vehicle
Basic specs: 4 hours recharge time at mains, 3 mins recharge time at Air Station, 750kg, 110kmh, 500kg max. load
Talkback
Anonymous says...
I'm wondering if this product will ever come to fruition. It sounds like the concept has not been perfected yet and they have a long way to go before this becomes reality. I heard they tested some out on the streets of Paris and could only go about 7 Km before pooping out. Not a very good start I must say--oh well, back to the old drawing board! Wayne
Apr 22, 2005 13:24
I'm wondering if this product will ever come to fruition. It sounds like the concept has not been perfected yet and they have a long way to go before this becomes reality. I heard they tested some out on the streets of Paris and could only go about 7 Km before pooping out. Not a very good start I must say--oh well, back to the old drawing board! Wayne
Apr 22, 2005 13:24
Anonymous says...
They did make a 7km loop, I don't recall that it was 'ran out' but just that their first public showing was a merely 7km loop. I recall that later they had a public showing of a circa 35km..or was it even 35mile? range (see the Yahoo group mdiaircar at groups.yahoo.com... and this story I am referring to is over 12 months old probably) but that said, although 35 miles or so is much better, I agree, this has been going on for a long and frustratingly long time, many of us have followed it since 2001. Time is limited and there are other things to focus on like peak oil, global warming climate disruptions we are causing, and more. But I do hope people continue monitoring this more closely than I can right now, and wish MDI well.
May 08, 2005 00:28
They did make a 7km loop, I don't recall that it was 'ran out' but just that their first public showing was a merely 7km loop. I recall that later they had a public showing of a circa 35km..or was it even 35mile? range (see the Yahoo group mdiaircar at groups.yahoo.com... and this story I am referring to is over 12 months old probably) but that said, although 35 miles or so is much better, I agree, this has been going on for a long and frustratingly long time, many of us have followed it since 2001. Time is limited and there are other things to focus on like peak oil, global warming climate disruptions we are causing, and more. But I do hope people continue monitoring this more closely than I can right now, and wish MDI well.
May 08, 2005 00:28
Anonymous says...
I have been in France in the factory/research facility and I told Guy that he should not try to reach the final goal in one big leap. The problem of the car is the low energy level of the compressed air. They need very ligh weight tanks that are not on the market today. So their way to go would be to heat up the air to a higher level (increase the stored energy) than the heat from the surrounding air delivers. This could be achieved with fossil fuel, like a gas burner running on propane or other readily available fuel, until the tanks are available. Such a constant combustion is better to control than in a regular gas engine, thus the exhaust has very few pollutants in it. Still CO2, but .... better to have a car with the cleanest propulsion on the market than the "zero emission engine" as a pie in the sky. When they make enough money, they can finance the development themselves and are not relying on investoment money. What I like especially is that with a wind generator (take out electrical generator, put in an air pump) it is easy to create compressed air without any energy conversion, which is the greatest loss (fossil fuel to electricity, electricity to compressed air). And apart from the initial investment, the energy thereafter is free. Good business - imagine a row of windmills in intervalls of 15 miles or more along the 101 in California...
May 27, 2005 10:28
I have been in France in the factory/research facility and I told Guy that he should not try to reach the final goal in one big leap. The problem of the car is the low energy level of the compressed air. They need very ligh weight tanks that are not on the market today. So their way to go would be to heat up the air to a higher level (increase the stored energy) than the heat from the surrounding air delivers. This could be achieved with fossil fuel, like a gas burner running on propane or other readily available fuel, until the tanks are available. Such a constant combustion is better to control than in a regular gas engine, thus the exhaust has very few pollutants in it. Still CO2, but .... better to have a car with the cleanest propulsion on the market than the "zero emission engine" as a pie in the sky. When they make enough money, they can finance the development themselves and are not relying on investoment money. What I like especially is that with a wind generator (take out electrical generator, put in an air pump) it is easy to create compressed air without any energy conversion, which is the greatest loss (fossil fuel to electricity, electricity to compressed air). And apart from the initial investment, the energy thereafter is free. Good business - imagine a row of windmills in intervalls of 15 miles or more along the 101 in California...
May 27, 2005 10:28
kevincole says...
I'm new to the "Air Car" and I found this very intriguing technology. I have a brother with a Toyota Preis 51 Miles per gallon of "gas" car - it gets less gas mileage if on a long haul trip. Kind of funny for a 30K car as I recall a 4 cylinder Subaru car my mother purchased 20 years ago with a 5 speed transmition that got about 36-38 miles to the gallon of gas at 60 miles per hour on the highways. The Toyota Preis will easily do 75+ miles per hour on American roads where 75 miles per hour is the typical speed limit. Sorry about not putting everything in to kilometers but, I am an American and I think in miles not kilometers and gallons not liters. In all of the reading that I have done this "air car" concept has been around for many years (12 plus years in Guy's case) and I found that the production of the car is the typical story with regard to the "Big Car Companies" - I even read that the first car that Guy tried his "air engine in was a Citroen - I've seen a few of those cars in the US actually - nice new web site, modern car - built in the UK but even Citroen is not willing to help out MDI and Guy - one article that I read quoted Guy's wife saying "The Car companies hate us" - they don't like the fact that MDI has all the patents to the "MDI Technology" - Seems that Bill Gates should get into making cars and invest into MDI's products and research as GM, FORD, TOYOTA, MAZDA, SUBARU, and not even a car company in the UK like CITROEN does is not seem willing to help out the effort to "reduce the pollution" if it means loosing profits "now" to produce, and market a "modern Hybrid that runs clean" - Maybe I'm missing it but, I've read about many new technologies such as Hydraulic systems that capture breaking for UPS delivery trucks, Compression engines that use Mazda’s Rotary engine design and even seen another "proposed air engine using a rotary design", new batteries that put out twice the charge, and I've ridden in a Toyota Preis Hybrid - but I'm sorry Toyota, GM, FORD, MAZDA and the other CAR MFG's in other countries other than the USA like CITROEN that are not on the "bandwagon" and working to solve the problem and reduce the pollution and seriously increase gas mileage in our cars - what does it take for all of you to work together and stop snubbing the little guy with the "better idea" like MDI and it "Engine" that uses air instead of fossil fuel that could be used to charge batteries and run a modern hybrid body NOW? Kevin Cole (USA)
Jul 06, 2006 14:45
I'm new to the "Air Car" and I found this very intriguing technology. I have a brother with a Toyota Preis 51 Miles per gallon of "gas" car - it gets less gas mileage if on a long haul trip. Kind of funny for a 30K car as I recall a 4 cylinder Subaru car my mother purchased 20 years ago with a 5 speed transmition that got about 36-38 miles to the gallon of gas at 60 miles per hour on the highways. The Toyota Preis will easily do 75+ miles per hour on American roads where 75 miles per hour is the typical speed limit. Sorry about not putting everything in to kilometers but, I am an American and I think in miles not kilometers and gallons not liters. In all of the reading that I have done this "air car" concept has been around for many years (12 plus years in Guy's case) and I found that the production of the car is the typical story with regard to the "Big Car Companies" - I even read that the first car that Guy tried his "air engine in was a Citroen - I've seen a few of those cars in the US actually - nice new web site, modern car - built in the UK but even Citroen is not willing to help out MDI and Guy - one article that I read quoted Guy's wife saying "The Car companies hate us" - they don't like the fact that MDI has all the patents to the "MDI Technology" - Seems that Bill Gates should get into making cars and invest into MDI's products and research as GM, FORD, TOYOTA, MAZDA, SUBARU, and not even a car company in the UK like CITROEN does is not seem willing to help out the effort to "reduce the pollution" if it means loosing profits "now" to produce, and market a "modern Hybrid that runs clean" - Maybe I'm missing it but, I've read about many new technologies such as Hydraulic systems that capture breaking for UPS delivery trucks, Compression engines that use Mazda’s Rotary engine design and even seen another "proposed air engine using a rotary design", new batteries that put out twice the charge, and I've ridden in a Toyota Preis Hybrid - but I'm sorry Toyota, GM, FORD, MAZDA and the other CAR MFG's in other countries other than the USA like CITROEN that are not on the "bandwagon" and working to solve the problem and reduce the pollution and seriously increase gas mileage in our cars - what does it take for all of you to work together and stop snubbing the little guy with the "better idea" like MDI and it "Engine" that uses air instead of fossil fuel that could be used to charge batteries and run a modern hybrid body NOW? Kevin Cole (USA)
Jul 06, 2006 14:45
To post comments, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
Crave is...
The name says it all. Crave is our new blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.
Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.
Crave for...
» Mobile Phones (753)
» Digital Cameras (414)
» Notebooks (477)
» PC & Peripherals (505)
» Handhelds (254)
» Printers (44)
» Home AV (507)
» Music & Play (435)
» Gadgets (967)
» Future Tech (163)
Copyright © 2008 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
a MUST to read!
Apr 18, 2005 09:43