Link AIRPod

AIRPod 2.0 Compressed Air-Powered Car

ero Pollution Motors (ZPM) is poised to produce the first compressed air-powered car for sale in the United States by mid-2024. Production in Europe is schedule for the first quarter 2019, for US buyers estimate delivery, for those who paid their deposits is 2nd half 2024. We are currently going to manufacture the golf carts for delivery in the USA in late 2023 and early 2024.

The AIRPod vehicle, developed by MDI (www.mdi.lu), is the solution to urban pollution and urban mobility. With its small size, a tiny price, zero pollution, and a fun and futuristic design, AIRPod marks a turning point in the range of urban vehicles. It is a real breath of fresh air in cities and the prelude to travel without pollution.

airpod-2-0-presentation-20161031-3-6Zero Pollution Motors, LLC is launching the urban car of the future,



Looks like you sit on the air tank!



From the FAQ Page

22. What prevents the tank from exploding in the event of an accident?

The tank is made of Type IV, thermoplastic liner and carbon fiber wiring which does not explode. In case of accident, if the tank is hit, it could be snapped in half, but still not explode.

It would probably work in golf carts as a substitute for batteries. But I have serious doubts about it providing sufficient range in a car to be useful.

However, I can see it being used in a ICE / Pressurized Air hybrid car. Might be a good alternative and would reduce dependence on China for rare earth minerals.

quote:

22. What prevents the tank from exploding in the event of an accident?

The tank is made of Type IV, thermoplastic liner and carbon fiber wiring which does not explode. In case of accident, if the tank is hit, it could be snapped in half, but still not explode.

I assume this means, in case of a large enough breach that causes a sudden, rapid decompression, it would stay put inside the car and not bust up into pieces that would turn into unguided missiles or shrapnel. Although we describe catastrophic decompression as explosive, it is not literally an explosion. And unless contained or redirected, the force would be a danger to all the occupants of the car.

For that matter, given enough decompression force, wouldn't the car become an unguided missile? Think about what happens when you let go of an inflated toy balloon.

From the Air Pod site FAQ’s:

Because of the size it does not require crash testing so it says. NHSTA is one thing, FMVSS is a whole other thing, how are they going to get around that?

Having four wheels is going to negate it being classified as anything but a passenger vehicle, three wheels is maximum for a motorcycle at least here.

Insurance, at least bodily injury should be off the charts, no crumple zones.

Anybody else here get Elio Motors vibes?

I guess there are always going to be new technologies that were at one time unimaginable -- Porsche has just filed for a patent on a six-stroke ICE engine. There are apparently two power strokes involved.

The eventual result, I’m sure, will be some kind of hybrid, with an electric drive train. (More or less, how life works too)

I’m guessing these thing are filled to scuba tank pressures? I know they talk about filling them at a gas station but it seems hard to imagine ~100 psi having that much energy.

I think they might make great neighborhood vehicles.

Lots of families in the areas I live, keep a golf cart or two, and one car.

Much cheaper to insure, and it’s rare for more than one person to need to go anywhere very far or very fast.

The Ford Mighty Tonka was a hydraulic hybrid.

It worked great until it came to financing.

With this thing you could always fill up for $2 and check the tires?

They had electric and steam powered cars in the early 1900's, Big oil won out with gasoline.
As for the air powered engine stuff, they will have to create very high cylinder pressures from a lower pressure source (storage tank). The Stanley Steamer of the day would definitely blow up if not run correctly, the storage tank was high pressure, but it ran well, as long as water was available.