Motor Development International

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Motor Development International SA (MDI) is a Luxembourgish company that is famous for designing Compressed Air Engine vehicle prototypes marketed under the title "the Air car". The latter should not to be confused with the products of the Air Car Factories SA company [1][2].

In 2002, a team of Swedish journalists from magazine Teknikens värld went to Nice to meet Guy Nègre[3] and try out the air car. They test-drove the car and took pictures of it.[4]

The OneCAT Air Car was shown at the 2008 New York Car Show from March 21-30, 2008. It was displayed under the Exhibitor: "Automotive X-Prize" in location: Crystal Palace CP12. [5][6]. Another entrant (Moonbeam[7]) described it as "totally clunky" [8].


Contents

[edit] Models

MDI proposes a range of vehicles developed on an identical concept:

  • MiniCATs is a small vehicle with three-abreast seating. Under 'urban' driving conditions, the MiniCAT has a range of 100 miles and a maximum speed of 95 MPH. The top speed is 110 km/h, with a range of 108 km. The time of recharging is 4 h. on the sector. The weight of the vehicle is 550 kg for a charge of 270 kg. It is used for local commuting. The MiniCAT's prototype was featured in the latest edition of the 'Salon Mondial de l'Automobile Paris 2002'[9]
  • CityCATs. Several CityCATs variants are envisaged: a taxi with (5 seats), a pick-up with (2 seats) and a van with (2 seats). With a power limited to 25 hp (in mono-energy ie. with compressed air the sole source of energy), these vehicles have a stated range of 100 to 150 miles (approx. 240km) in urban use and a maximum speed of 110 km/h. The vehicle weight is approximately 900 kg.
  • MultiCATs is a modular project of vehicle for transport of passengers or carriage of goods. The autonomous vehicles can constitute a train of 4 modules. .
  • OneCATs is an economical car (3,500 euros) less than 500 kg to be sold in India (Tata Motors) and Europe . Mono-energy and bi-energy (hybrid air-gasoline vehicle). [10] There are 4 versions of the OneCAT supported by the same chassis: Taxi, Family, Van and Truck.[11]

[edit] Filling

Filling the tanks with compressed air takes 3-4 minutes; therefore, the cars will also be able to be used for longer journeys. In addition to the compressed air refuelling option, the car has a built-in air compressor that can plug into any standard outlet and refill the tanks in 4 hours.


[edit] Development History

The Air Car has been in development for twenty years. In the original Nègre air engine, one piston compresses air from the atmosphere, holding it in a small container that feeds the high pressure air tanks with a small amount of air. Then that portion of the air is sent to the second piston where it works. During compression for heating it up, there is a loss of energy due to the fact that it cannot receive energy from the atmosphere as the atmosphere is less warm than it. Also, it has to expand as it has the crank. Nègre's engine works with constant torque, and the only way to change the torque to the wheels is to use a pulley transmission of constant variation, losing some efficiency. Armando Regusci's version[12] of the air engine has several advantages over the original Nègre design. In Regusci's version, the transmission system is direct to the wheel, and has variable torque from zero to the maximum, enhancing efficiency. When vehicle is stopped, Guy Nègre's engine has to be on and working, losing energy, while the Regusci's version need not. In 2001-2004 MDI switched to a design similar to that described in Regusci's patents, which date back to 1990[13].

Zero Pollution Motors and MDI are among the teams to commit to participate in the Automotive X Prize competition. [14]


[edit] Production History

2000-2008: Production in France was claimed to be starting in late 2000[15], and at frequent intervals, in several countries, thereafter. None are in production as of February 2008.

2003: The Eolo Car is a version of the Air Car that was to be manufactured in Italy in 2003, but failed to get into production.

The Future:There are now 50 fabrication and distribution licenses signed in the world. Some of the countries that have signed agreements include France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, New Zealand, Israel, South Africa, etc. Zero Pollution Motors would like to make MDI vehicles in the United States [16]. The last one is MDI Andina S.A who would like to sell the car in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Panama[17]. MDI has reached an agreement with Tata Motors, who are to produce and sell air cars in India[18].

[edit] Distributors

[edit] Australasia

IT MDI-Energy Pty Ltd [19]

[edit] Legal Claims On Air Car Factories

Mr. Miguel Celades Rex founded the Air Car Factories on the 3rd of January 2008. They are interested in the development of a car functioning on compressed air as part of their 'ecological vehicles concept'. They are also importing various electric vehicles to finance the research and development stage of this project. The ACF is also interested in commercializing inventions of others related to energy and transport.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ MDI Enterprises S.A
  2. ^ Air Car Factories - The Air Car
  3. ^ MDI Enterprises S.A
  4. ^ Göran Schüsseleder. Provkörning av MDI Air Car (In Swedish). Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
  5. ^ MDI Enterprises S.A
  6. ^ http://www.autoshowny.com/files/exhibitors/2008/north_concourse.pdf
  7. ^ jory squibb
  8. ^ Progressive Automotive X PRIZE Community :: View topic - Progress Report from the Maine and Other Teams
  9. ^ http://www.motordeaire.com/Img/SalonParis.jpg
  10. ^ MDI Enterprises S.A
  11. ^ air car onecat models of the CATvolution
  12. ^ Motor
  13. ^ Armando
  14. ^ Zero Pollution Motors - Air Car
  15. ^ BBC News | AFRICA | The car that runs on air
  16. ^ Zero Pollution Motors - Air Car
  17. ^ http://www.motordeaire.com/mascerca.html#Eng
  18. ^ Tata Motors - Media Centre
  19. ^ IT MDI-Energy: Towards 100% Sustainability - Company
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