AIRPod LAUNCH & ROAD TEST - 9 October 2008 - Carros, Nice, France

Pictures from the unveiling of the AIRPod range - the AIRPod AIRPod Cargo & AIRPod Baby

The AIRPod at Cannes film festival

12 - 23 May 2010. Advertising four giant screens located at strategic points of the festival, broadcast, every hour, an advertisement on AirPod. Source View Video Advertisement

Production Tooling 11 May 2010
The production machinery is set up. Body Molds are tested and developed to achieve the planned production rate in each plant. The body is made of composite materials (fiberglass sandwich - polyurethane foam) by RTM. The production of car bodies is carried out through two separate mould: a mold and a foam injection mould. Source

MDI Automotive 2010 AIRPod Range see official .pdf

AIRPod - will be available in 7 versions as follows

1 AIRPod Standard

The standard version is intended to the transport of persons, with four seats (3 adults and a child) and space for the luggage. The AIRPod is dedicated to multiple purposes, both in the private- and public sectors. Airports, railway stations and municipalities also need cheap, non-polluting vehicles with a great mobility.

AIRPod Standard
Number of seats	3
Length	2.07	m
Width	1.6	m
Range in urban cycle	140/200	km
Max Speed	80	Km / h
Price	6 000 to 7 000	€
Weights	220	Kg

2/3 AIRPod Baby

The Baby versions, even shorter and easier to handle, offer two front seats and a vast boot of more than 500 liters. This is far more than most of the classic tourers. It is the ideal car for private individuals who want to "drive clean" and in a practical way; to go to their jobs, to do shopping, to drive in town and in the suburbs at a lower cost.

AirPod Baby	45	GT
Number of seats	2	2
Length	1.95	1.95	m
Width	1.6	1.6	m
Volume safe	500	500	dm ³
Weights	200	200	Kg
Urban cycle	140/210	120/200	km
Max Speed	45	80	Km / h
Price	6 000 to 7 000	6 000 to 7 000	€

4 AIRPod Mini Cargo

The Cargo versions, with one or two seats and more than a cubic meter load capacity (Mini Cargo), and almost 3 M3 for the Maxi, greatly facilitate deliveries in cities. Intended to couriers, parcel services as well as to craftsmen and communities, the AIRPod Cargo introduces the zero pollution into institutions. Post offices, industrial handling and neighbourhood deliveries are favorite markets for the AIRPod Cargo.
Caterers, butchers, fishmongers can benefit from a refrigerator version of the AirPod Maxi Cargo.

AirPod Mini Cargo
Number of seats	1
Length	2.07	m
Width	1.6 m	m
Volume loading	1 000	dm ³
Payload	210	Kg
Weights	250	Kg
Range in urban cycle	120/200	km
Max Speed	80	Km / h
Price	5 500 - 6 500	€

5 AIRPod Maxi Cargo

AirPod Maxi Cargo
Number of seats	2
Length	2.7	m
Width	1.6	m
Volume loading	2 700	dm ³
Payload
Weights	290	Kg
Range in urban cycle	120/200	km
Max Speed	80	Km / h
Price	7 500 to 8 500	€

6 AIRPod Pick Up

Based on the extended Baby version, the AIRPod Pickup will offer two front seats and a load surface of 1.3 x1.4 metres.

AirPod Pick Up
Number of seats	2
Length	2.7	m
Width	1.6	m
Tray size	1.3 x 1.4	m
Weights	240	Kg
Range in urban cycle	120/200	km
Max Speed	80	Km / h
Price	7 500	€

7 AIRPod Golf

MDI are preparing at present the production unit at Carros, as also the first AIRPod Golf cars, economic version that will satisfy not only the golfers, but that will be used for the transport of persons in closed sites, such as airports, railway stations and other public places.

AIRPod Golf
Number of seats	5
Length	2.2	m
Width	1.6	m
Weight	190	Kg
Range in urban cycle	120/200	km
Max Speed	45	Km / h
Price	5,500 to 6,000	€

AIRPod Certification Complete
On 29 Jan 2010 MDI announce that Certification of AIRPod is now complete. They have also announced the formation of MDI Prod Ltd and will soon be taking bookings through their website for AIRPod and AIROne which is due for production in 2012.

Christmas 2009 at MDI - Santa looking a new mode of Eco Transport?

Annic & Guy Nègre with Santa Cyril Nègre with Santa Santa drives AIRPod MDI Team with Santa in Yellow AIRPod View the Video

Snow & Ice Test for AIRPod

22 December tests on snow and ice were held at MDI Factory, in Carros, Nice, France and the results for road holding and braking were good. Also see Video

AIRPod at the Copenhagen summit…
MDI continues its European road show with a stop in Denmark's capital. Guests at the official launch of the Nobel Prize Sustainable Development by the Nobel brothers.

For this occasion AIRPod the colors of KLM has made the trip from Schiphol to Copenhagen before joining its test base in Amsterdam.
Also see Video

OFFICIAL HANDOVER OF AIRPOD'S TO KLM

The official handover of the keys took place this Monday 07 December 2009. Peter De Swert, Executive Vice President of KLM Engineering & Maintenance received the keys from the hands of Cyril NÈGRE Vice President of MDI. Also see Video

Air France will wait for official documents before testing begins.

First AIRPod Factories

There are indications that factories are to be opened in Switzerland and Andorra then Toulouse, and Barcelona,
as well as Carros in Nice. The factory in Carros will remain the heart of R & D and provide training to emerging plants, as well as limited production.

Andorra Factory under construction.
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NEW DATE - France 3 says the KLM/Air France and Port of Nice tests will not start before January 2010.
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Licences for 57 plants (with a staff of 60 people each) have been sold worldwide. Production will start in the first trimester of 2010, says Guy Nègre. Gradually, first one a day, then one an hour, until reaching cruising speed of 3 an hour.
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It is been confirmed that deliveries will start in first Trimester of 2010 by Guy Nègre in an interview (in French) with Nice-Matin: January or February, March at the latest to take a little margin. The first mother moulds have arrived and will be used from November on.

THE BEGINNING OF NEW ERA IN AUTO INDUSTRY

Recent AIRPod Photos


AIRPod Kiss & Fly at Nice Airport, France	Peter Fairley from IEEE Spectrum at MDI Factory	AIRPod at Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France

Four Versions of The AIRPod

AIRPod 45 (45 km/h, 4 kW, torque 35 Nm),
AIRPod GT (80 km/h, 6 kW, torque 40 Nm),
AIRPod Baby (as GT, but only 2 persons and trunk, not 3),
AIRPod Cargo (1 person and large trunk).

MDI announced that 4 version of the AIRPod will be built - 26 Sept 2009

AIRPod

filling

station

AIRPod Introduced to public for first time in Palace Massena, Nice, France - 10 July 2009

Official Event with Air France

An official event was held to mark the formal agreement between MDI and Air France/KLM, this was held at the National Library of France in Paris.

The vehicles were produce in colours of the two airlines. Source

Two types of AIRPod will be tested on the platforms of Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol

- Vehicles "cargo" for the transport of small materials such as crates tools, appliances, spare parts;
- Vehicles "people" capable of carrying a driver and two passengers.

4 vehicles will be tested in the maintenance operations of Air France Industries and operation of Air France at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and 3 at KLM E & M in Amsterdam Schiphol.

AIRPod For each, a "test driver" of record run a protocol of tests that will assess the overall performance of the vehicle, including aspects related to safety, ergonomics, reliability and autonomy.

Fully supported by the MDI, this feasibility study will determine whether the AIRPod meets the expectations of Air France Industries and KLM E & M. Source

MDI wins Eco-conscious Award

MDI wins the special design of LOHAS, (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), sponsored by Sotokoto a leading magazine of High Tech Japan. The AIRPod was competing on price with another Japanese non-polluting vehicle. Source

History in the making the beginning of a new Era!

AIRPod being introduced to KLM at Schiphol Airport Amsterdam26 March 2009

26 March 2009 Guy Nègre presented the AIRPod to Schiphol International Airport, Amsterdam (see Dutch Video)

Photos were taken Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, of work on an "AIRPod," at the MDI head office in Carros, near Nice, France.

AIRPod at Geneva Motor Show 5-15 March 2009

Click to Enlarge Photos More Photos	Guy Nègre & Henri-Philippe Sambuc the Swiss Licencee	White AIRPod	OneFlowAIR & AIRPod

First US Journalist takes a ride in an AIRPod Read More

Guy Nègre with AIRPod outside factory

AIRPod

MDI Team

Nègre Family

Interview

9 October 2008

Guy Nègre address guests

Mayor of Nice

Road Testing

Road Testing

New Compressed Air Engine

44P06 Engine


Drivers Seat	Doors	Passenger seats

Source

AIRPod Videos

AIRPOD being road tested for Air France KLM - from MDI Website


Air France KLM AIRPod zero emissions engineering car, Le Bourget, Paris


Launch of AIRPod At MDI Factory Nice France 9 October2008 Video in French	Launch - IT MDI-Energy At MDI Factory Nice France 9 October2008 58sec 3.75MB	AIRPod Manoeuvrability Demonstrated at Launch 1.00sec 3.68MB	Cyril Nègre -Part 1 CATvolution 9.37sec 22.6MB	Cyril Nègre -Part 2 CATvolution 9.20sec 21.9MB

AIRPod Road Test CATvolution - Nice 3.18Sec 7.72 MB	PlumTV Shiva Vencat 5.00sec 13.4 MB	The car that runs on fresh air - AIRPod 17 Mar 2009	AIRPod at KLM Amsterdam 26 Mar 09 (see Dutch Video)	On Public Show - Place Massena, Nice Paris In French - 10 July 2009

AIRPod Gadget Show 2.32Sec - 12.1 MB Sept 09	OliNo Netherlands Interview withCyril Nègre 3.20 sec 17.7MB 20 Sept 09		Alternative Car Day Amsterdam 40 sec 3.96MB 20 Sept 09	Certified AIRPod 1.13sec 3.68MB 28 Sept 09

Kiss & Fly AIRPod at Nice Airport 2.24 sec 12.2MB 22 Oct 09	"Arc de Triomphe" Paris 1.24 sec 6.4MB 27 OCT 09		AIRPod at EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland 2.20sec 7.5 MB 23 Nov 2009	AIRPod in Monte Carlo, Monaco 7.04 sec 34.23 MB 27 Nov 09

KLM AIRPod

2.40 sec 10.4 MB 9 Dec 09

AIRPod European
Tour 1

9.53 sec 44.5MB 18 Dec 09

AIRPod European Tour 2

9.4sec 44.3 MB. 18 Dec 09

AIRPod European Tour 3

8.11 sec 35.3 MB

AIRPod Snow & Ice Test

2.14 sec 7.98 MB

AIRPod for Santa

4.57 sec 22.1MB 23 Dec 09

AIRPod in Snow

2.11sec 11.3MB 4 Mar 2010

KLM AIRPod in Dutch

2:51sec 17.9MB 24 Mar 2010

AIRPod Advertising
Cannes

15 sec 1.3 MB May 2010

AIRPod at Cannes

4.22sec 19.4 MB May 2010

Some Features of the AIRPod

The AIRPod is not a car, but an urban "transporter" on compressed air. A certification as a car is not needed, and neither is a driver's license for use in Europe.
“We have already identified keen demand for off-road applications of the AIRPod in the thousands of units throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific”, said Dr Arnoux, “this gives us time to get through the certification processes in Australia and New Zealand for on-road applications.”
It has no steering wheel, no dashboard nor pedals: you use the joystick for steering, braking and accelerating.
It needs an "air station": unlike the other MDI models, it cannot be refilled by plugging it in the mains at home.
It has an external airbag under the floor, which opens when the emergency brake pedal is used this absorbs the kinetic energy of the crash outside the Pod. The Pod itself is made of composite materials that constitute a safe cell protecting the passengers
These prototypes will be improved in the field of suspension, noise and drivability. The control buttons for the lights, the windscreen wipers, etc will be added to the joystick
MDI intends to equip the side windows of the AIRPod with a hinge system permitting to open them in an awning way.
The AIRPod's can be parked perpendicularly to the sidewalk, the one next to the other, as the access is through the windshield and the car is only 2 m long.
It has one engine, and differentiate the access to each rear wheel. This way the AIRPod can still rotate (no reverse gear?)
The AIRPod's being prepared for Geneva Motor Show have rear view mirrors and headlights, also some new look and ergonomics.
MDI announces that it is working on an air pump that will enable to fill up the compressed air tanks of your car at home in three minutes, at a price of 2,5 Euros.
According to Australian IT MDI-Energy Ltd, a joint venture of MDI and IndraNet Technologies Ltd (New Zealand) there will be a dual energy version of the AIRPod. Adding a very small amount of biofuel an range of 360 miles will be reached.
AirFrance-KLM is interested in the AIRPod's.. They will test them from spring 2009 during 6 months on the tarmac.