The car that runs on air

If you think a car that runs on air is nothing but science fiction, meet Guy Negre. The Frenchman has been working on a compressed-air, zero-emissions engine for more than 10 years—and now that he’s signed a contract with Indian car manufacturer Tata Motors, a company with $5.4 billion in revenue and the country’s automotive market leader, the dream got a lot closer.

The beauty of this environmentally friendly car is in the engine. In the case of a traditional combustion engine, energy is released through burning gasoline, natural gas or diesel fuel. Negre’s technology uses cold compressed air injected into the steaming-hot compressed air in the combustion chamber, which causes hot gases to expand and energy to be released. No combustion: no emissions.

Moteur Developpment International (MDI), the company owned by Negre, has a few models ready to go into mass production in the southern French town of Carros. One example is the CityCat, which can travel up to 110 kilometres (66 miles) an hour. Filling the tank should be $2 at a fuel station with a high-pressure pump. The compressor for the hybrid version of the car—pressed air combined with electricity—can be recharged using an ordinary electrical outlet.

Here’s the hitch: Since the initial results of his work were released in the 1990s, Negre has been saying the air cars would be going into production “shortly.” In the meantime, MDI has signed scores of licensing agreements so the car can be manufactured in local factories in countries from Spain to Brazil and the United States to South Africa. But Negre is still seeking the financial means for large-scale production.

MDI has never signed an agreement with a big company, however, and the collaboration with Tata Motors could finally get production off the ground. While small electric cars haven’t been successful in Europe or the U.S. so far, perhaps the dirty, crowded traffic arteries of India’s cities will provide an unexpected opportunity for the global unveiling of the car with the world’s cleanest engine.

Find out more: www.theaircar.com