Air-powered car in France can go 120 miles per charge

Author Joel Barker of the website and book called Five Regions of the Future points us to the Air Car, which uses compressed air (and no emissions) to run the engine. The company producing the car, Moteur Developpment International, says they will begin selling the cars in Barcelona, but they are not available yet. Looking at the claims the company makes on its website, these are amazing vehicles for people who need to go short distances regularly (i.e., most commuters and city dwellers). The company claims that recharging the compressed air tanks will take two or three minutes at a gas station (once the network is in place) or three or four minutes when plugged into the electrical grid. A recharge should cost 1.5 Euros (about $2US). This seems ridiculously easy and cheap to me. The air cars will be sold in various engine and body types and can go 220 km/h. The hybrid engines shift to run on gasoline for longer drives and at speeds over 50 km/h. Perhaps this technology really is too good to be true. These air-powered vehicles were supposed to go on sale in 2002. The company’s FAQ was updated in December of 2005 and claims the cars will be going on sale soon. [Source: FIve Regions of the Future]