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One fascinating project I have been keeping tabs on since the late 1990's is a company founded in France but now based in Spain by the name of MDI. Founded by a former race car technician named Guy Negre who's impetus for his invention came from his background in racing.
MDI has created a high performance Auto mobile that runs completely on compressed air technology. In comparison to traditional gas powered engines, the compressed air based technology is infinitely superior in regards to energy used and thermodynamics.
An overview of the AirCar:
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The technology for an air-powered motor has been around for a number of years however Mr Negre has perfected it and readied it to be fully commercialized on a worldwide scale. The 2 main benefits of this technology are fuel savings for the driver, and the beneficial environmental impact it will have could be astounding. It seems that these Air-Powered racers are ready to take the world by storm.
Different than electric automobiles or hydrogen powered automobiles, the AirCar is not expensive and don't possess a restrained distance range. MDI automobiles are low-priced and have a performance grade that compares favourably with current measures. To summarise, they are non-expensive cars that have a very small environmental footprint and are simple to get about cities in.
The AirCar is safe, dependable does not cause pollution, does not have fuel that can explode, it's not toxic and it's also very affordable. The company plans to make two versions -- a three-seat compact called the Minicat priced at $9,850 and a six-seat sedan for $16,000 called Citycat.
The way the AirCar works is that an electric pump forces compressed air into a storage tank, the compressed air is then let out to force the movement of pistons to rotate the drive shaft of the vehicle, similar to a standard gasoline engine process. If driving a top speed, the AirCar has a limited range of about 50 miles, but can be stretched out if driving at a lower rate. They are also working on hybrid models that have an unlimited range like a regular automobile. These models will run on a combination of compressed air and fuels such as bio-fuel, gas or diesel. Somewhat more expensive, but capable of greater speeds and distance. The Air-only models satisfy the needs of most city drivers.
The single energy powerplants will be available in both Minicats and Citycats. These engines have been developed for urban center usage, where the upper limit speed is 50 km/h and where MDI thinks polluting will before long be forbidden. It is already conceivable to see cases of this in various places, such as London, where if you decide to go into the city center with gas powered automobiles, you must pay a fee.
The hybrid-type engine, has been created for the open road as well as for city driving, and will be available as an option in all MDI vehicles. The engines will run exclusively on air when driving below 50 km/h in urban centers. When the automobile is driven outside cities at rates over 50 km/h, the system will transition to fuel mode. The hybrid engine will operate on gasoline, bio fuel, bio diesel,ethanol, alcohol, etc.
Both engines will be equipped with 2, 4 and 6 cylinders, once the air tanks are emptied the driver will be able to alternate between fuel modes, as a result of the car's on board computer.
The cost to the Environment? According to MDI the only exhaust that pushes through of the tail pipe is cold air on the Air-only models.
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