New York 2008: Actually, it's not called the Air Car - Q&A with MDI's Guy Negre
The Automotive X Prize announcer used it. We've been using if forever. And, until recently, MDI and Zero Pollution Motors were still calling their vehicles the Air Car. Now, though, to avoid confusion as much as possible, the preferred term is "Compressed Air Vehicle" (don't look now, but the ZPM website still says Air Car). At the New York Auto Show this week, we finally had a chance to sit down with Guy Negre, the creator of the CAV, and his partner Shiva Vencat (Vencat also provided translation for most of Negre's answers, as I don't speak French) for a talk on what happens next in the compressed air vehicle world.
The CAV team was in New York as part of the Automotive X Prize announcement, and I'm going to have to say that MDI/ZPM seems to be one of the stronger potential entrants into the race. While the design of the vehicle in New York won't appeal to everyone, I think the renderings for the MiniCat (is that what it's called?) could result in a solid X Prize entry. Plus, considering that deals with Tata have already been signed and the air car (whoops) technology has been tested for quite some time, the vehicle won't be bowing out of the race early, I don't think. To hear what Vencat and Negre have to say, listen to the interview yourself.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike 10:21AM (3/22/2008)
Actually, I believe this model is called the OneCat. Still looks like my kids toy though!
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rgseidl 11:56AM (3/22/2008)
Obviously, the French do not share Americans' cultural preference for vehicles that are as intimidating as possible. Also, they are clearly thinner than the average American - or else this vehicle is wider than it looks on the photos.
A redesign featuring not three but nine seats - and six side doors - could be a boon for major cities suffering from both congestion and tailpipe pollution. Such vehicles might need all-wheel steering but otherwise, they represent a platform for delivering cheap, dynamically routed sharecab services.
Using expensively generated shaft work or electricity just to compress air is admittedly much less efficient than storing the energy in (much more expensive) traction batteries. However, the stationary compressor features multiple stages and intercoolers, the heat loss is much reduced. Also note that a CAV can deliver A/C (cooling only!) as a fringe benefit, whereas in a BEV both result in a significant loss of range. In hot, humid climates these considerations are significant factors.
Alternatively, the higher-grade waste heat from a simpler compressor can be used for space heating or cooling (via an absorption chiller). It's still wasteful to use what was once shaft work or electricity for mere building HVAC, but you have to assess such solutions holistically: zero tailpipe emissions (other than noise) + free on-board A/C + reduced congestion + reduced dependency on oil + building HVAC.
Compare that to the alternatives and CAVs do make sense in certain - far from all - markets.
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George Krpan 11:54PM (3/22/2008)
I don't think the TH interviewer completely understood that this CAV CAN use combustible fuels to increase the range but if no fuel is available it can run solely on compressed air.
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Darren Flanaghan 12:45AM (3/25/2008)
It would be interesting to see any future retail cost of this 'Compressed Air Car'. Looking at it I would assume it is to penetrate the cheaper market and this would be a winner for Hybrid type cars, i.e. $10-$15k buyer. All the other hybrids cost the earth, say minimum $40k any-where to $150k.
I think this is the real first low cost hybrid and remember the majority of people in the world can not afford $40-$150k. I think this could be a real winner. The Tata's of India seem to think so as they have signed a deal with MDI. If they out this engine into their NANO cars then we will see a real shift in motoring power from the yanks to the Japanese to the Chinese to the French, world turns full circle. Did the French not help to free America from the British, how Ironic.
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MARSCHNER 5:43AM (4/19/2008)
If you are interested to invest in the MDI company, my wife and I are willing to sell some of our shares of MDI. We support financially MDI since 1992 and hold then so 1 % of the capital.
After 16 years we decide to realise a part of our investment !
Our selling price will be less (market oblige) as the last transfers made by M Nègre himself (he held 2/3 of the capital). If you have a serious interest please write us : martinmarschner(at)hotmail.com
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MARSCHNER 10:00AM (4/19/2008)
If you are interested to invest in the MDI company, my wife and I are willing to sell some of our shares of MDI. We support financially MDI since 1992 and hold then so 1 % of the capital.
After 16 years we decide to realise a part of our investment !
Our selling price will be less (market oblige) as the last transfers made by M Nègre himself (he held 2/3 of the capital). If you have a serious interest please write us : martinmarschner(at)hotmail.com
Reply
Lawrence D. Schultz 11:17PM (7/10/2008)
The idea of this car is excellent, I am not a well educated person but can see great potential in this car and would love to have one but know that will not be possible being I live in the USA and by the time it gets here the cost will go from 7000 USA dollars to probably around 25000 well exceding all that are the ones that really could benfit from such a marval, in any case im a dreamer and see that the idea behind using compressed air to power a car can be use for more then just a car. A solar plant has the probablem that when the sun goes out theres not power so build a big enough solar plant so that it provides the power needed but enought to also compressor air so that when the sun goes down (air powered generators) can run power the grid thus the use of batteries or other forms of power distribution would become of the past. I have many ideas like this but most people do and I have no way for me or my family to benifit from my ideas for I am to old to be young and can barely keep my head above water so to speak to take care of my family, it would just be nice to see that this idea could be used by someone who might just have the ability to use it......Larry
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Lawrence D. Schultz 2:37AM (7/11/2008)
Okay sorry for calling it an air car, no offense ment not to good with computers so dont even know if im doing this right, but either way were I live just haveing one of these cars driving around on the road in this area would be better then and tv show or advertisment, hope to see them soon, as for my idea on the solar thing I still think that is a good idea, let me know what u think.
Don Shank 9:06PM (1/02/2009)
Do you have a postal mailing address for Guy Negre in France? I would appreciate it a lot.
Don Shank
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