Concept car : AirPod

The AirPod is a three-seat and three-wheel car that runs on compressed air.

(Credit: CNET)

Among the plethora of alternative fuels being put forth to replace oil, the most odd might seem simple: air. But MDI International, based in Luxembourg, showed off a car at the 2009 Geneva auto show that runs on just that. What motivates the little AirPod concept is the energy from compressed air stored in a tank at 5,000 pounds per square inch (PSI).

The driver sits alone in the AirPod, turning the front wheel with a joystick.

(Credit: CNET)

The AirPod vehicle is small, holding just three passengers, with a single seat facing front for the driver and a bench facing backward for two more people. MDI claims a range of more than 112 miles in an urban setting, and less than two minutes to refill the 46-gallon air tank. But even though the AirPod can reach speeds of just less than 45 mph, the air-powered engine produces only 8 horsepower, suggesting slow acceleration.

Because of the low horsepower, the AirPod is designed to be exceptionally light, coming in at 485 pounds. Because the air tank and engine don't take up much room, most of the AirPod is devoted to passenger space. The car is a three-wheeler, and the driver uses a joystick to turn, rather than a conventional steering wheel.

Although air power means the AirPod drives emission-free, some energy is required to compress air into its tank. MDI puts the cost of a tank refill at just 1 euro.

MDI has announced deals with Air France and KLM to run a test fleet of the AirPod cars at Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris and Schipol airport in Amsterdam.

See more Geneva auto show 2009.

Concept Car : Aptera Typ-1 Does 300mpg

The Aptera Typ-1 Concept Car is a three-wheeled vehicle. The two front wheels are used for steering and the rear wheel is connected to an electric motor. The Typ-1 will consume 60-80 Watt·hours/km at 55 mph (90 km/h), making it a low energy vehicle.

The Typ-1 has a drag coefficient of 0.11, compared with 0.19 for the record-holding EV1.

It has recessed windshield wipers, low rolling resistance tires, and cameras in place of side mirrors. And, did we say it goes 300 miles on a gallon of gas?

Concept Car : Aptera

The Aptera is one hell of a cool car. Always love it when style and philosophy come together. The future’s definitely bright if it’ll make such kinds of designs common.



The Aptera (Greek for “wingless”) is an environmentally-friendly car that’s as clean and green as it is fantastically futuristic. The three-wheeled hybrid, which offers an all-electric or plug-in hybrid option, isn’t just a concept- you can reserve your own with just a $500 deposit.

Seating 2.5 with plenty of room for luggage, the Aptera can get up to 230 miles per gallon at 55 miles per hour, and has an (electronically limited) top speed of 95 mph. Plus, it’s just so darn cool looking, we can’t resist the arthropod automobile aesthetic.

Bike Meets Car in Three-Wheeled Can-Am Spyder

Ostensibly opening up the pleasures of the motorcycling to would-be riders who, for any or all of a variety of reasons related to fear of falling over, haven't taken the plunge, the slightly odd new Can-Am Spyder promises to keep things upright by putting three wheels on the ground instead of two. The latest offering from Bombardier Recreational Products, the company that gave the world the truly revolutionary Ski-Doo in the late 1950s and the similarly significant Sea-Doo in the 1970s, the Can-Am Spyder merges the drivetrain of a motorcycle with the front end of a sports car to create something, well, different. The look is undeniably novel, and with 106 horsepower from a 998-cc V-twin, it offers performance that, while a far cry from even a low-end sport bike, is still on par with, say, a Porsche 911 (which isn't bad at all). Sixty miles per hour arrives in about 4.5 seconds, and the Spyder will scoot to an electronically limited 110 mph. It's on sale now, priced at $14,999. A manually actuated five-speed sequential transmission is standard; an electronically controlled version will add $1500. Specify yellow paint instead of the standard silver for an extra $300.
We love the concept of a motorized trike, although we'd prefer one that came at the idea from more of an automotive perspective, like the spectacular Renault 20Cup concept from a couple of years ago. The Can-Am Spyder is not without its charms, but it seems to us that for five or six grand more, a Mazda MX-5 Miata or a Pontiac Solstice makes vastly more sense — no helmet required.
Source: blog.wired.com/