New AIRPod Urban Transporter Unveiled

A new compressed air vehicle has been welcomed into the MDI family. On October 9 MDI unveiled its answer to the need for clean air and urban mobility - the AIRPod.  With its low price, zero pollution, high range and playful and futuristic design, the AIRPod marks a turning point in the nexus of automobile and urban transportation. And it will cost less than a Euro per 200 km to operate and will leave no one stuck in traffic jams.

The vehicle will be proposed for the city of Paris’ AutoLib contract and other municipalities and private concerns - airports in particular - are interested.

Besides the compressed air engine, the AIRPod has another unusual feature: a joystick instead of a steering wheel. All controls are “by wire”, with no mechanical connection among components.

It is surprisingly roomy. While it is only 2.07 m long, 1.60 m wide and 1.74 m tall, it has room for four people (three adults and one child). Direction is provided by different speeds in each of the rear wheels. Very light (only 220 kg for the passenger version), it can have its 175 l air tank recharged in a mere 1.5 minute (at 350 bar!) and is able to run up to 220 km, with a top speed of 70 km/h for people with a driving license.

In France, there are vehicles that can be driven by children and people with no driving licenses in regular city traffic. For these people, AIRPod’s top speed is limited to 45 km/h.

AIRPod is the result of MDI studies on pollution and urban mobility. It will be the first vehicle to come off MDI production lines in spring 2009. The AIRPod is part of the manufacturing license of MDI vehicles of less than 500kg, and will be built in the same factories as OneFlowAir, following the original production concept proposed by MDI.

AIRPod
It offers up to four seats (3 adults and one child) and has space for luggage.

AIRPod Cargo
This version has a loading volume of more than one cubic meter to facilitate deliveries in town.  Perfect for errands and messaging, as well as community and institutional use.

AIRPod Baby
Two front seats and a trunk of more than 500 liters, all for less than 1.80m long.  This model was crafted for the most congested traffic. It is a versatile utility that can be used for supplies, municipal services, roads and small logistics.

See more information at www.mdi.lu