A Car That Runs On Air: The Future Is Here?

By Anthea Quay, 17 Aug 2012

In an effort to debunk tradition and reduce the use of the world’s oil supply—Indian auto manufacturers Tata Motors has planned to release a car powered by compressed air.

Called the ‘Tata Airpod’, the tiny car’s engine works by extracting air pressure from its 175-liter tank—and does not contribute to air pollution.

Using technology developed by MDI, the car’s tank can be refilled through a charging station, or take in air while driving with the help of its electric engine—for a full tank, it takes two minutes to refill.

The Tata AirPod is able to travel at a top speed of 28 to 43 mph (45 to 70 kmh)—and travels up to 200km on a full tank.

As of now, the car will only be commercially available in the near future.