Core77

This vehicle isn't fueled by air, air is a storage medium for another fule source.

MDI has been hoovering capital for a decade without ever producing more than, literally, hot air... big promises, but <40mile range prototypes. Investors just keep trying to pass the hot potato to the next bunch, and by now the hole is india-sized colossal.
Don't just go after the shinny, people, think for 10secs: where does the power to compress air came from?

Compressed air is no joke. In an accident, I'm betting nobody inside this thing would come out alive.

looks like a high-tech version of another old favorite..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

Despite the cons found, changing the energy source out of the car into the provider, gives more options for a economy-scalable solution for a clean generation. Think, instead of an engine in each car, there would be needed one on each station, isnt it?

could the vehicle perpetually refuel itself if it had an air compressor on board?

Compressed air takes electricity, and electricity usually comes from fossil fuels, but, transporting fuels like gasoline, through the use of more fossil fuels, is waaaaaaaaaaay more environmentally damaging. This fact is acknowledged in the video. Perfectly clean for the environment, not really, but better than fuel that has to be pumped from the ground and hauled around the world.

I want one.

This article should really be accompanied with a link to this one : http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/environment/deflating-the-air-car/0

They have been promising a viable AirPod since 2000.

The Airpod is a model by MDI, that has licenced Tata Motors to use their technology for India. Tata is planning to launch its own compressed air models, probably the Tata Nano. The Airpod has 4 wheels,its tank contains 260 liters of air compressed at 248 bar and it can run at a maximum speed of 80 km/h and has a range between 120 and 150 km. It can be refueled in 3 minutes at an air station or in 4 hours at the electrical socket at home, as it uses its on board motor-alternator in reversed mode to compress its own air. It cannot refill while driving. Please visit my site www.aircars.tk for all information, photos, videos and the latest news about air cars.

The fact is that one cannot defy the laws of Physics. Whenever energy in form is transformed in to another the process entails loss, the Entropy Law of Thermodynamics. The change in Entropy is always positive. Only in a machine with 100% efficiency, the change in Entropy shall be zero but then there is no such practical machine which has 100% efficiency. The hoax of “air” (and now the latest entry is water) car has been in my knowledge for about a decade and with big claims made nothing practical has emerged. The secret of the high efficiency mileage figure of the "air" car is in its light weight and fragility. One has to remain cognizant of the fact that energy has to come in one form or the other: electricity/diesel/petrol/gas-fired engine to compress air at high pressure in to the cylinder to power the car. So why not then rely upon basic source of energy itself rather than going through a transformation cycle? That is the key question.

@Energy "Engineer", Sure the compressed air is a storage medium that produces kinetic energy sans CO2 and the other pollutants that have made NASA's billion dollar travel to mars a necessity before we run out of a habitable ecosystem for humans with our emissions.. You have a problem with this?
@Jorge, How many miles do you drive in a day? I bet <40miles. Do the math...still cheaper than your present car BY FAR. You already pay for electricity at home, use that to compress the air each day before setting out.
@MrEricSir,, perhaps...but attempt to balance that with your typical auto accident. PMS burns, explodes, maims and kills BADLY

Yeah but how much oil did it take to make the fiberglass, thermoplastic tanks and tyres not to mention the energy used up by the machines again, powered by oil?

All of you here are forgetting one thing includng @Energy Engineer. I'm a real engineer- and this Engineer says, that the economy of scale achieved by producing large quantities of compressed air is by a huge quantity more efficient and cannot be bluffed away as simply a conversion of fossil fuel energy reformed. While Salim is correct in that you cannot destroy or "invent" energy, there are varying levels of efficiency. One critique that is valid = I bet if that compressed air cylinder explodes or is ruptured, the damage would be almost biblical in proportion... I've seen small scuba tanks take out the back of cars.

The naysayers who posted are obviously too lazy to do any research, they proudly open their mouths and display their ignorance.

The tanks on the MDI aircars are made with carbon fibre, not steel, which means in a catastrophic failure they will crack, not explode. They are designed with a barrier between the tank and the passenger cabin, so there is no risk of shrapnel to occupants, and the compressed air will not injure anyone nearby.

I do have a concern about aircars, but different than what the ignorant talk about: What about roads? Odds are, the aircar won't be suitable on anything but paved streets (asphalt or concrete). In the picture, the clearance beneath is low, the wheels are small, and the power of a compressed air engine may not be enough for anyone where snow, ice and unpaved roads are common.

Another key point: with only three wheels, these vehicles are not or may not be classified as cars. In most jurisdictions, three wheeled vehicles are treated the same as motorcycles, so one would need a scooter or motorcycle license instead of a car license. If the vehicles are very slow (under 30kmh) such as electric bicycles, most cities don't require any license at all.

Potential for air powered light weight vehicle could be for short commutes to park n rides for example. Small vehicles like this aren't going to be safe on major roads (okay on local streets and footpaths/cycle ways) so short trips would be ideal. Solar power could be used to power up spare batteries at home and exchanged when necessary. Park n rides could sell solar power for recharging

What about human power to compress the air -- like an air rifle?
Could it be done instead of spending an hour in the gym? A treadmill, perhaps?
Just asking.

I think in particular in confined spaces, such as mines and ware houses, where air quality is an issue and range is secondary this technology would be particularly useful.
It beats electric power hands down in refueling, so longer trips are not out of question. Due to the size and single-tank range I see it as a good solution for families where the second vehicle is used for short trips, i.e. commuting or errand runs.

Looks like a golf ball.

I bet it flies like one in an accident, too.

nay sayers work for big oil. Let it grow . Anything is possible ! As long as we are open to NEW tech. Let old oil ind. go the way of the Dino. ,( ;-)x------

Surprised Apple hasn't his them with a trademark infringement suit yet.

Remember that this is being developed in India, not the US. Three-wheeled vehicles of dubious safety abound in India (I've ridden in them!). A vehicle that would never be approved here would have no problems there.

I think this is great tech already. It could be made even better with more powerful air compression, larger wheels, and like Carlton said, adding options for humans to add back to the air tanks by pulling levers and peddling some.
This will provide very clean carbon footprint because the energy required to compress air is very small.

Check out my song and music video about the Tata Airpod

http://youtu.be/jcM2IFLZ3zU

Compressed air is an inefficient way to run an engine. I wish people would actually critically look at MDI Moltor's claims instead of just spouting their fantasy number about. The AirPod is a SCAM. Every year since 2000 they say "Oh, it should be ready by next year."

The air car was not created by tata. Tata took the idea from Guy Negre who was the true entrepreneur behind this invention. Tata made nothing.