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Travelling on Air
By
Mar 18, 2008, 12:39
The long awaited air-powered car should be ready to roll off the production lines in Europe and India early next year.
Tata Motors, India’s largest automobile company, has done a 20 million Euro deal with French inventor Guy Nègre, to use his patented technology in their own designs. The company recently hit the headlines when they launched the £1,300 Nano, the world’s cheapest car. Unlike the Nano, the new air-powered model is virtually pollution free.
After 15 years developing his invention, Guy is at last going into production. His company, Moteur Development Inter-national, is finishing the construction of a small factory near Nice. Here, it will manufacture the OneCat, an inexpensive version of the air-powered car, starting at around 3,500 Euros. It should be on the streets early in 2009 with the grander MiniCat planned for 2010.
The OneCat runs on compressed air that drives the pistons and will need to be periodically re-charged to top up the pressure. More sophisticated versions will be able to switch to a fuel engine to make long journeys. The car can go up to about 90 miles an hour and is very light. “It is all very simple,” Guy says. “The lighter the vehicle, the less it consumes, the less it pollutes and the cheaper it is.”
To avoid shipping cars aross the world, the idea is to set up mini turnkey factories in regions where they are wanted. There is already interest in several countries. “Everything will be made at the place of sale,” Guy said. “This will be more profit-able and much more ecological.”
Contact: www.tatamotors.com
or MDI: www.mdi.lu
The MiniCat. Photo: © MDI
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