India’s Tata tested first air-powered car

India’s biggest car maker Tata is expecting to introduce a new car powered by compressed air.

Built on technology licensed and acquired by a German company Luxemburg MDI, the one seated AirPod is a light car that can run at between 45 and 70 kilometers an hour (28 to 43 miles per hour). Instead of running on gas or electricity, the engine is powered by a tank of compressed air that can either be pumped in through a charging station or taken in while driving with the help of an electric engine.

This car can also store some energy during braking. But still, it requires further probe. It could offer cheaper and more environmentally friendly recharging without waiting for something like lithium air battery.

During the time MDI working on the processon the technology for years, they signed a licensing agreement with Tata in early 2007, and a concept car was unveiled later in 2011.

Last May, the engine concept was successfully tested in two Tata cars, allowing Tata and MDI to proceed to the next phase: finding out how to actually create a product that could be used on commercial base. We’ve heard nothing more so far about the new idea, but it’s likely to be developed “over the coming years.”