Open Access Article Originally Published: October 28, 2008
Next Spring, if you pass through the main air terminals in either Paris or Amsterdam, you may find MDI's AirPod vehicles scurrying about, hauling passengers between Air France/KLM gates.
Capable of a top speed of 43 mph and powered by MDI's 4 kw (5.45 hp) compressed air motor, the 3-4 passenger three-wheeler will have a range of upwards of 130+ miles when traveling at 15-20 miles per hour on the equivalent of less than $1 worth of electricity.
Inspired by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë's call for a low-cost, zero emission electric carshare vehicle [See Paris' Electric Car Autolib Takes Shape] Nice-based MDI -- originators of the original AirCar -- adapted its technology to meet the challenge.
The composite plastic body car measures a mere 82 inches in length, 63 inches wide and 79 inches high. There are two versions: a passenger model weighting 485 lbs and a cargo version at 462 lbs. The cargo version has a storage capacity of 39 cubic feet.
Entrance and egress from the vehicle happens through the front and rear. The driver sits facing forward while any passengers will sit facing the rear. According to Shiva Vencat, MDI's representative for the Americas, three smaller adults can sit abreast in the rear, or more comfortably two adults and child.
Steering is accomplished with a "guide-by-wire" joystick mounted on the right. The turning radius of the vehicle is 75 inches. The two front wheels are small and close-set under the vehicle.
The 46-gallon carbon fiber compressed air tank can be pressurized in under two minutes at up to 4,500 psi using a commercial compressor.
ADDENUM: Home refilling would be accomplished using a small air compressor, and not using the car's air motor as previously reported. Refilling would take an estimated three hours and if it's like most home shop-type compressors, it would be noisy; a clear advantage for batteries, which recharge silently.
While the jury is still out as to the relative energy efficiency of using compressed air as an energy storage medium when compared to electric car batteries, the AirPod does have one critical advantage: its compressed air tank should last longer and cost less than chemical batteries.
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Reader Comments
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10 comments so far...
28-Oct-2008
64658
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very well, but how does the eroi, tco, lca, wtw efficiency compare to other options, like BEV. Also with various RES?
Posted by: Emil Möller
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28-Oct-2008
64665
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Good questions, Emil. Since I believe you're in the EU, care to go ask Guy those questions? ;-)
Posted by: Bill Moore
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01-Nov-2008
64718
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This is all well and good for transfering passengers and goods inside an airport, but where is the outside (real) world crash protection? There are electric passenger vehicles already moving people and goods in airports, and Isetta already demonstrated how bad an idea a front opening door can be from a safety aspect. Cute idea, and cute aesthetic design, but not much more at this point, I'm afraid.
Posted by: skip schwarzman
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01-Nov-2008
64721
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Ingress and egress could be issues with this particular vehicle could be issues (particularly trying to crawl into the back seats).
The issue isn't necessarily the configuration but the mode of propulsion. Compressed air might not be as efficient as a BEV but it could be a valuable part of the mix.
Posted by: Bill Gallip
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29-Oct-2008
64670
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The entry and egress seems rather clumsy for larger and/or older adults, plus the door might be in the way of taller ones. There might be better designs to carry this type propulsion system.
Posted by: David Park
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29-Oct-2008
64677
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One problem with all compressed-gas technologies is that much of the energy used to compress the gas manifests as heat - which WILL eventually leak out into the environment. Thus it's certain that the overall energy efficiency will be much less than 100%.
OTOH, when the gas is depressurized, it gets cold. In much the same way as you get heat "for free" from an IC engine, you'll be able to get air conditioning "for free" (sort of - more honest would be "at no extra cost").
Posted by: Ben C
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04-Dec-2009
70812
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MDI is a scam.
Italian, french, and spanish investors have lost a lot of money since 2000.
MDI sells exclusive licenses for the manufacturing to naive investors.
Air cars have a poor efficiency and a very bad range. MDI cars have never been tested independently (range).
Posted by: Ben Lesc
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15-Nov-2008
64909
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Yes it is! The future is truly here! If I had the money I'd buy one customize it with nice floor mats..This company are at least pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Posted by: kurt daniel
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31-Oct-2008
64712
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Been following this company since 2000 - I'd like to see the answers to the other comments. Anyone know whatever became of the Argentina(?) manufacturing plant that was proposed? I thought it would be great to have manufacturing plants in small rural towns like Eureka, CA where unemployment is sooooooooo high - maybe the new administration should be weighing in on this one. Why the hell aren't we moving faster in this regard?
Posted by: Kay Brown
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13-Nov-2008
64884
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Lots of announcements. Never any production vehicles. It's been this way for a decade. Always "next spring" or "year after next".
No info has ever been made available on things like well-to-wheel efficiency. Nor even such basics as "what is the furthest distance that any of your prototypes have ever run?" Lots of claims of great performance that have never been seen in real life, even in a one-off prototype.
Tata Motors now says that they are nowhere near production and that the air car they licensed from MDI is in early development phase. Quite different than the articles published early this year saying that production would start as soon as this year.
Is this a real car or simply an investment scam??
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The basic problem has to do with energy storage density. Compressed air has much lower energy storage than do even lead acid batteries. That's why we have electric vehicles on the road while the air car keeps getting talked about, but never built.
Posted by: Charlie A.
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