MDI's AIRPod coming to New Zealand
Looking like just about every other three-wheeled, joystick-controlled, compressed air-driven car we've ever seen, the AIRPod by MDI will be available to lease in New Zealand soon. MDI has an agreement with IndraNet Technologies to market them in the land of the M?ori and, according to an article in the New Zealand Herald, they could be arriving on the island before the end of the year. If true, that would be the first market where the rolling alien marshmallow would appear. The MDI website says production is to begin in the Spring of 2009. Like many new ventures the vehicle has it critics and The Dog and Lemon Guide editor Clive Matthew-Wilson is unimpressed with the AIRPod's environmental claims. He rightly points out the the car isn't powered by air but by the energy that compresses the air. "It's a slightly more efficient way of wasting energy on inefficient trips. All you are doing is replacing traffic jams full of petrol-driven cars with traffic jams full of air-driven cars." He doesn't mention that the energy could be from renewable sources which mostly what is available in New Zealand. The AIR Pod is said to be capable of 43 Mph and has a range of around 137 miles and though it may run on air, don't call it an air car. H/T to Paul.
[Source: New Zealand Herald]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jake 2:13PM (10/12/2008)
While I agree calling it an "air" car is kind of misleading and it should be called compressed air car instead (I have seen plenty of people who assume it is energy from the air and thus there is no chance of it being polluting), there are environmentally friendly ways to fill it up depending on your source of energy used to compress it.
But it does seem like the a big part of the efficiency of the cars come not from running them from air but because they are small and light.
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meme 2:24PM (10/12/2008)
"BREAKING: MDI announces compressed air vehicle to begin production in six months!"
(Haven't we seen this basic headline about a dozen times?)
Compressed air vehicles are just a bad, bad idea. Much more energy gets turned into heat in the process of compressing air than ends up in the compressed air.
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gorr 2:27PM (10/12/2008)
Is it with that that i will try to seduce women?
43 mph can be acheive with a good scooter of 50cc.
I think that this product is a nightmare invented to try to relieve us of the guilt of having almost ruin the environment in the last 100 years. If compressed air is efficient then propose a car that meet my specifications that i've written before, 200-300h.p with few energy cost.
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Raoul 5:33PM (10/12/2008)
You are seriously sad.
Remember me what is the price of oil you pay now ?
Is it a bad think to look for new solution or may be we need to business as usual ?
Bad idea !
I like it
http://www.ecolo-trader.fr/AIR-POD-vehicule-a-air-comprime-aux-couleurs-de--vtptc-150.php
:)
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Nizal 10:42PM (10/12/2008)
Very cute...
http://grazycar.blogspot.com
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JJ 12:49AM (10/13/2008)
Please look at the press release from IndraNet for the details discussed over the AIRPod and release dates in NZ ...
www.itmdi-energy.com
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FuglyRides 9:29AM (10/13/2008)
I would just like to point out how incredibly ugly this thing is. Let's hope that this never, ever makes it to the US. I will be ramming it intentionally with my "real" car.
Check out this bashing of the AirPod:
http://www.fuglyrides.com
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Brn 10:55AM (10/13/2008)
Not to worry. This thing couldn't possibly pass any kind of safety regulations.
Lindsay 3:36AM (10/14/2008)
After reading the info its looks like this is to target niche markets. I could see immediate demand with private roads such as retirement villages and campuses like golf courses, conference centers, universities. As no license maybe be required it might be suitable for retirees who want to to go on small trips within their quiet towns, like a super mobility scooter, i think that is an untapped market, as taking away their vehicles really clips their wings. It could also be suitable in the air-only version for use within large indoor areas, as no fumes. As for efficiency, new zealand's electricity comes largely from hydro and we are making good progress with wind power, which we have plenty of. I would'nt worry about this clive guy, he has said ALL electric cars are a bad idea, and I think he hasnt thought this one through either, maybe not the best representive to quote from nz.
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MARSCHNER 3:12PM (10/16/2008)
MDI Guy Nègre is really a "visioneur". He made not only a new engine but also a new mobility concept with under others the Airpod ! If you are interested in this project, my wife is still selling some MDI SA shares at a price 10 to 20 % less as MDI is selling (MDI selling price is 5,500 € per share. For information MDI SA has only emitted 73,280 shares at all !). If you are interested : martinmarschner@hotmail.com
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Charlie 1:51PM (11/21/2008)
As an investor, do you have any insight as to what happened to past attempts to put the MDI air car into production ?
It has been a long time since the year 2000 announcements of production in France in 2000, in South Africa in 2002 and in Mexico in 2003. What happened?? Why didn't they go into production?
And with the latest generation of prototypes, there was lots of publicity in early 2007 when Tata Motors of India signed an agreement with MDI. Several articles published in summer 2007 said that production was to be in summer 2008, but Tata said in August 2008 that the MDI technology was nascent, not ready for production, and to not expect any production in the near future. As an investor, do you have any info on why Tata says the design isn't ready yet?
Also, do you know of any test results other than the rather old tests where the MDI air car could only manage to go 7.22km before running out of air?? That's the only test results I've ever seen published. Do you know when MDI will be willing to let auto magazines or independent testers test the actual performance of their cars ??
-----------------------------------------
References: BBC articles from 2000 announcing production in France, South Africa, and Mexico.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/988265.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/992431.stm
June 2007 Popular Mechanics article on Tata production in summer 2008
Archived webpage from MDI corporate site showing ACTUAL test results of 7.22km range, with extrapolations based upon hypothetical improvement to come up with on-paper-only claim of 200+km range:
http://web.archive.org/web/20071011200005/http://www.theaircar.com/tests.html
MARSCHNER 6:22PM (11/23/2008)
Dear Charlie,
Unfortunately I have no "insider" information !
But with the inscription in the X race in the US, the announcement
to co-operate with Air France KLM, I expect that a little production will start in 2009 and more in 2010.
On the other hand, I Knew very well Guy Nègre from 1992 to 2000.
And so I can say that nobody will have the opportunity to test his cars before they are 100 % OK to sell. Every other policy would be to dangerous ! And I agree with him !
Sincertly,
Martin MARSCHNER
Charlie 8:11PM (12/26/2008)
So even though you are a major investor in MDI, you don't know why the e.Volution car failed to launch in 2002.
And why the Eolo car by MDI failed to launch, even though the Italian franchisee hired a staff of 70 and had a building ready? I've seen reports that the staff were paid by the Italian goverment for a couple of years and they they received a few parts from MDI, but never a full set of parts. So they never built even ONE car!
You say "nobody will have the opportunity to test his cars before they are 100 % OK to sell". So why does MDI keep announcing that they will soon go into production?
You say the share price is € 5,500 per share and there are 73,280 shares outstanding. Thats € 440 million !!!!! valuation of the company. Truly, truly amazing for a company that can only produce a few prototypes that go in circles in the parking lot.
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Charlie 5:36PM (3/20/2009)
Status update, start of Spring 2009.
MDI missed the end-of-2008 delivery to New Zealands ITMDI-energy.
We are now waiting to see whether or not they make the "Spring 2009" scheduled delivery to Air France, KLM, the city of Nice, and to franchisees/distributors like ITMDI.
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Charlie 11:24PM (5/14/2009)
IT-MDI have gotten tired of waiting for MDI and have started their own air engine development.
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/035B9945F2A4B09ACA2575A200234CBE
MDI did take 4 prototypes to Schiphol airport for a media event, but still have not delivered any to Air France or KLM.
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Charlie 9:19AM (7/24/2009)
July Update.
Still no AirPods in New Zealand.
The AirPods that MDI was to loan to Air France/KLM for evaluation starting Spring 2009 have yet to be delivered.
No independent journalists have been allowed to road test the few prototypes that MDI has built, and specifically, nobody has ever done a test of the claimed 200km range.
MDI still says that the AirPods will go on sale to the general public in 2009. Or early 2010. or ........
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Charlie 5:28PM (9/06/2009)
September 2009 Update.
Still no deliveries of AirPods anywhere in the world.
Still no deliveries of any other MDI compressed Air Car to anyone anywhere in the world.
Air France is still waiting for their Spring 2009 delivery of test vehicles.
The 50 car pilot run that was supposed to take place in Spring 2009 did not happen.
MDI's CEO Guy Negre and the CEO of the related company Verdidap (sp?) have said that the AirPod will be certified/homologated by French authorities in the coming week. Supposedly on September 8, 2009.
Based on the 10 year history of missing every milestone I'll be shocked if homologation takes place. We'll see soon.
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Charlie 11:30AM (10/14/2009)
October 2009 Update.
No surpise. The homologation didn't happen on September 8th.
There were various stories about how certification had been achieved but the "documents were in the mail".
The latest story is that the front window failed the test and needs to be redesigned.
"Next month" is the latest word.
Meanwhile, MDI/Zero Pollution Motors are no longer listed as a registered team at the Progressive X-prize website. The rumor is that X-prize rejected the MDI business plan as not being a believable path to production.
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Charlie 10:08AM (11/08/2009)
November 2009 Update: Still no deliveries of AirPods to anybody, anywhere in the world.
ITMDI-Energy now reports that the Air France/KLM tests originally scheduled for March 2009 are not expected to start until January 2010.
Still no AirPods in New Zealand.
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analog 2:04PM (11/22/2009)
Is this perpetual delay any surprise to anyone?
Guy Negre was caught out by the NY Times last year on inflating his credentials - his Formula One credentials are as full of hot air as the Air Car.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/an-air-powered-car-by-2009
In my opinion, MDI and the Air Car have always been a scam. Science shows the infeasibility of economically using air as a motive force, and the business plan of MDI itself is simply to make money, not cars. MDI has been selling licenses for a decade and Negre still draws in fresh suckers, without ever delivering a single working car.
It never ceases to amaze me how a scam can live for so long.
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