A Car That Runs on Air

First there were electronic cars. Now, it seems that the green gurus have finally taken it to the next level with a car that runs completely on air. Cool!

MDI has actually introduced two models, the MiniCat and CityCat, which both use the same engines, which come in choices of 2, 4 or 6 cylinders. Both the MiniCat and CityCat also have a choice in whether the will contain the standard compressed air engine or a hybrid flex fuel / compressed air engine.

The models with compressed air engines are meant to be city cars as they can only achieve speeds of 35 mph. The flex fuel hybrids, however, use compressed air up until the vehicle hits 35 mph and then the fuel-powered engine kicks in to help the vehicle achieve speeds up to 68 mph. The flex fuel engine can accept gasoline, biofuels, alcohol or several other odd derivative fuels. The range of the hybrid vehicles is around 125 miles.

One side benefit of using compressed air to power the vehicle is that the pistons are not only driven by the air but also compress some of the air back to replenish the tanks. In addition, this air is cooler when it comes out from the engine and can be used to air condition the vehicle.

Another interesting new feature for this air car is that it automatically shuts down the engine when the car is stationary. While sitting at a red light, this car won’t be burning any fuel like other typical automobiles.

The exterior of the MDI Air Car is built in a modern way. Like several of the cars on today’s market, its frame is built with fiberglass and injected foam. This was the preference when designing the vehicle over using steel because it’s cheaper, it is lighter, and it is much easier to fix in case of an accident. In addition to that, the MDI Air Car’s design makes it one of the safest cars to ever be made.

Interesting concept. They say that this car will be tested in India.

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