Fill-Up with Air | Green Energy News

September 22, 2002 – Vol.7 No.26

FILL-UP WITH AIR.

Does a top speed of 65 mph, (110 km/h), 125 mile (200 km) range and 4 hour re-energizing sound familiar? Those are numbers being offered by MDI as it unveils its next generation compressed air car. At least on paper, the air-powered car performs as well as, or perhaps better than, most battery electric automobiles.

Like some battery electric cars, the MDI air car carries its own recharging device (in this case an air compressor), but the company has also developed a compressor for fast - three minute - refilling. An infrastructure of fast refilling stations would need to be built. An infrastructure is also needed, of course, for battery electric or fuel cell vehicles.

And like a battery electric car the pollution the air car would be responsible for would be upstream. The source of electricity needed to power the air compressor used to refill the car’s pressure tank could be the source of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. (A green grid or green distributed power would solve that problem, however.) The cost for a fill-up of compressed air is stated by the company at about $1.50.

The car is small, like most electric cars, and is aimed at urban use and commuting. The next difficult hurdle for MDI is just like that of electric and all alternative fuel vehicles, for that matter.

Commercialization.

Visit MDI (Moteur Developpement International) http://www.theaircar.com/