MDI's "AirCar" officially becomes the FlowAIR

MDI's compressed air vehicle has been unofficially known as the AirCar for years now, but it looks like the company is now finally putting a stop to that, and officially bestowing the decidedly less catchy "FlowAIR" name on the car. What's more, it's also gotten official with no less than four different vehicles based on the technology, including the One FlowAIR open-top model, the Mini FlowAIR three-seater (pictured above), the City FlowAIR truck-type vehicle, and the Multi FlowAIR urban public transportation concept, all of which have been making the rounds under various guises for some time now. From the looks of it, the One FlowAIR will be the first out of the gate in 2009 (in France, at least), with the rest to follow over the next few years.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

[Najakwa @ Oct 10th 2008 4:20PM]

looks like a cartoon prius.

[Henry The 8th @ Oct 10th 2008 6:06PM]

I was thinking the new bang bus...

[Lowest Ranked @ Oct 10th 2008 6:11PM]

More like the flame bus.

[Steve @ Oct 10th 2008 4:20PM]

SHHHHH....don't tell the oil companies that a car can run using air...they will try to find a way to charge us for it.

[quag @ Oct 10th 2008 5:13PM]

Um... this car doesn't run on air. It runs on COMPRESSED air.

Most gas stations already sell compressed air, so I don't see you point. Oh, wait... you didn't have one.

[broli @ Oct 10th 2008 5:17PM]

This car was supposed to be released this past summer. Now it's 2009, speaking of disappointment.

[Steve @ Oct 10th 2008 7:27PM]

Um Compressed air is air... and if you don't get my point about my post you have a problem.

[Steveorevo @ Oct 11th 2008 8:22AM]

Its a really awsome engine. Electric companies use compressed air underground tanks today to store energy for generators during off hours. Its way more effective than lead acid batteries. Unfortunately, this car and its engine has been a concept for 13+ years. It, like the electric car, will probably never see the light of day during our lifetime.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 11th 2008 7:44PM]

Jesus H on a bike why do we keep having to go through this.....

You can't just fill this thing with an ordinary compressor. It requires too much pressure. And air doesn't compress itself. Compressors require a power source such as electricity which could be be generated by fossil fuels from what? Wait for it.....

OIL COMPANIES

They don't have to figure a way to charge you for it. They already have it.

[rock99rock @ Oct 10th 2008 4:22PM]

Ive made nicer looking terds.

[pavlindrom @ Oct 10th 2008 4:36PM]

Well, then for you this is the breakthrough, a new definition to the word ugly

[fanman @ Oct 11th 2008 10:04AM]

This all started with a comment about a turd?

[zoopthegame @ Oct 10th 2008 4:28PM]

If you go far enough back into time, will there be a point in time where nothing exists? not even an atom to start a big bang?

And if so, where did anything come from? Where did the first atom come from? Where did space to move in come from? Does that mean that there has to be something called "God" that we don't understand that created everything? Huh?

[Juaquin @ Oct 10th 2008 4:31PM]

Are you in the wrong thread, high, or just crazy?

[jay @ Oct 10th 2008 4:35PM]

To put it shortly, no. Your question is flawed. "You" couldn't go back in time this early because nothing would exist, therefore if a being such as yourself was to go back to the beginning of time, your essence would become the very material that all matter would be comprised of, which contradicts your original statement.

And that car looks like a pokemon.

[zoopthegame @ Oct 10th 2008 4:39PM]

Why do we think some objects are ugly and some objects are pretty. Is it biological? Is it related to how we perceive human beings as being ugly or pretty?

One car looks good, another car looks bad. There seems to be a lot of agreement on which cars look good or bad.

If a dog were intelligent, would it agree with the majority of humans as to which objects were ugly and which objects were pretty?

Or would it like shaggy looking cars with spots on them?

[pavlindrom @ Oct 10th 2008 4:41PM]

Well, I agree with him. I'm a Christian and what a better way than go to the place where people go and give them a question? In theory: great, in practice you neglect it, low rank it and then get a comeback without putting a thought into it. Good job thinking community.

[zoopthegame @ Oct 10th 2008 4:42PM]

@Jay,

So if you agree that at some point, nothing even existed, then where did anything come from? Did it just explode itself into space? Did it will itself into existence?

Seriously, I have no idea, and would like someone knowledgeable in physics to describe this to me.

[Tom Reinke @ Mar 14th 2009 11:46PM]

Do not feed the troll..

[Artie Lange @ Oct 10th 2008 5:02PM]

Your logical collapses under its own premise. If you believe God exists because "something" had to create the universe from "nothing", then what created God? To counter the ad infinitum problem, people such as yourself will claim, "God is infinite". Of course, once again, you undermine your own logic. If you concede that the infinite is possible, then why do you assume there was ever time where there was "nothing"?

[Mr. Ford @ Oct 10th 2008 5:01PM]

@pavlindrom
Wow. I can't believe that you actually posted that statement. It sounds as though you are trying to justify a SPAM campaign.

"Well, I agree with him. I'm a Christian and what a better way than go to the place where people (read: check email, tech blog, middle of the subway, etc.) go and give them a question? (read: hey man, you wanna buy a watch, wanna make your penis larger, wanna send me $10,000 in legal fees, so I can send you your eleventy-billion dollar inheritance, etc.?) In theory: great"

In reality: you're an idiot!

[zoopthegame @ Oct 10th 2008 5:49PM]

@artie

well, physicists usually say that stuff is finite, that atoms were created at some point in time. that's why i don't concede that atoms are "infinite", but will definitely consider that something that even physicists don't understand as "infinite". maybe we could call that god.

However, if you believe that atoms were infinite, and believe that my "logical" collapses under its own premise, then i suggest that you read Coming of Age in the Milky Way to learn something about the universe. Then you could come back and try to be authoritative and try to justify typing in your asshole authoritative style and continue showing the world how insecure you are.

[Chris Aubeck @ Oct 10th 2008 6:01PM]

The flaw in the argument is in the line "that at some point, nothing even existed, then where did anything come from?" This is not a scientific question because it starts from an unproven assumption. No need to introduce magic or deities if there's no proof of this first link in the chain of reasoning.

And for the record, I don't like the look of that car at all.

[zoopthegame @ Oct 10th 2008 6:10PM]

@Chris Aubeck

Are you saying that the fact that nothing existed at a certain point in time is an assumption?

I believe it is a credible theory that any science major will be able to explain to you.

[zoopthegame @ Oct 10th 2008 6:17PM]

in other words, most scientists now accept that the universe began suddenly and at a specific point in time.

[brandon @ Oct 12th 2008 1:56PM]

''~``
( o o )
+------------------.oooO--(_)--Oooo.---------+
| Please Do Not Feed The Trolls |
| .oooO |
| ( ) Oooo. |
+---------------------\ (----( )--------------------+
\_) ) /
(_/

[astute @ Oct 10th 2008 4:29PM]

This does look like buying "air".
It looks like these 45km cars, does it really go faster? And how well does this hold up in collision with lets say a Hummer, or if it makes any changes, I even think a Toyota Aygo would crush this thing like a piece of butter in a microwave.

[Idlemind @ Oct 10th 2008 4:32PM]

it looks like a front-end collision would make this thing flip over.

[patriotsn1 @ Oct 10th 2008 4:35PM]

How well do motorcycles hold up getting hit by hummers? Or the ever so eco friendly huffy?

[Loonie @ Oct 10th 2008 4:41PM]

Does this mean we are all doomed to drive hummers because of reckless hummer drivers?

[eFFeeMMe @ Oct 10th 2008 4:48PM]

F'n SUVs. They waste space, fuel, materials, they pollute, and now they make people fear driving in something which is actually reasonably sized.

By the way this car doesn't actually look too unsafe to me, but the front is indeed weird. I wonder when they'll figure out that new technologies don't require butt-ugly new looks.

[RickRussellTX @ Oct 10th 2008 4:54PM]

"how well does this hold up in collision with lets say a Hummer"

If that is the sole criterion for purchasing, then you should go ahead and buy that Gmord Subcursion that's on sale right now. They are *really* looking for customers like you.

[Taylor @ Oct 10th 2008 6:22PM]

"And how well does this hold up in collision with lets say a Hummer?"
That's what she said.
*zing!*
-Taylor

[sip @ Oct 10th 2008 4:44PM]

It would be really cool if you could just connect the car to an air compressor to 'fill it up'.

[ssoltero @ Oct 10th 2008 7:12PM]

I'm fairly certain that was the whole point of this car, just in case you missed that part.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 14th 2008 9:48PM]

No, you can't. It takes a lot more pressure to "charge" this thing than an ordinary compressor provides.

[Chad @ Oct 10th 2008 4:52PM]

I think it should be named the U.R.K.E.L.

I'll figure out what the letters mean later

[ZaxCG2 @ Oct 10th 2008 5:00PM]

Urinate Regularly, Kicking Electric Llamas

...
Wait no.

[Tom Reinke @ Oct 10th 2008 4:57PM]

I'm really not liking those 350Z headlights on it.. Not to mention the whole body is just UGLY. Why can't companies with great ideas make a regular looking car that doesn't stand out so much? :/

[ZaxCG2 @ Oct 10th 2008 5:02PM]

I guarantee you this will be a hit in California.

[Benson @ Oct 10th 2008 6:07PM]

Maybe they can, but this is not a company with a great idea. Compressed air is great for power density, lousy for energy density. And quite lossy for recharging. It's at best on par with electric, but you need more infrastructure to use it.

[masstercheif @ Oct 10th 2008 10:48PM]

Berkley + Ugly alternatively powered cars = Me moving to Japan

[Artie Lange @ Oct 10th 2008 5:05PM]

But can you fill it with Smug?

[Taylor @ Oct 10th 2008 6:20PM]

It comes pre-filled with a lifetime supply of Smug.
Until it breaks, and a Gas powered tow truck has to save you. Then the smug is gone.
-Taylor

[timmy @ Oct 10th 2008 5:14PM]

Paint it yellow and call it the Flow-BEE (Haircut anyone?)

[Primate @ Oct 10th 2008 5:46PM]

I want this car. The technology is sound. I have seen demos of it and the car can be made and sold at under 10,000 for the 2 door 4 seater model while still making a nice profit. I could see this getting more feature, a solar charger for the air compressor and also home high pressure air compressor for home fueling for easily under $15,000

[Chris Aubeck @ Oct 10th 2008 6:43PM]

Again, you're leaping to the belief that "any science major will be able to explain...the fact that nothing existed at a certain point in time." I'd like to meet all those science majors who will "explain the fact" that nothing becomes something.

As you so readily, yet clumsily, use the words "theory," "explain," "any science major" and "credible" in a blog post, I can only conclude you're a little out of touch with modern theories on the origin of the universe yourself.

[zoopthegame @ Oct 10th 2008 8:16PM]

chris, i understand that if you are not given an explanation, it makes completely no sense.

one of the scientists who now believe that the universe spontaneously was created from "nothing" is Stephen Hawking. Read his stuff, it is extremely interesting and you might become a believer in that theory afterward.

be careful though, it is addictive reading.

[Oscar @ Oct 10th 2008 6:43PM]

WHY!, why it has to be sooo ugly!

[Chris Aubeck @ Oct 10th 2008 6:45PM]

That was for zoopthegame. I swear I pressed "reply."