Related Articles

If you are tired of overpaying at the gas pump and are interested in an environmentally friendly car to get you around town, George Clooney may have your answer. The actor may have a huge budget, but he loves his little compact MDI (Moteur Development International) car, which can reduce trips to the gas station down to even once a year.

What is an MDI car? It is a one-person automobile that looks like a mix between a tiny minivan and a go kart (George has a black one). It has a zero-emission engine...it runs off of air! The car uses compressed air instead of fuel and can travel up to 200-300 km on the air after only a quick fuel charge. It is the ideal city car. There is also a version of the engine which can use dual energy if needed, and stays with compressed air for shorter trips and gasoline for longer trips. For someone who wants to use it as just a city car, the compressed air engine will work great and expensive trips to the gas station with be (almost) a thing of the past.

To recharge the car, it can be plugged into a special system where the internal pump works to refill the compressed air tank, meaning it can be done at home. The only downside is that it can take up to four hours to charge at home. Luckily, there are also specially-built air-stations available at some service areas, which take only about 3 minutes to charge the car. The tiny car is just a start to a wonderful technology, but producers are looking toward putting air-compressed engines in larger vehicles like minivans and pickup trucks.  

The great thing about the MDI car is not only that it saves money on fuel, but it is green! The car is emission free. Virtually its only source of energy comes from electricity, meaning the only impact on the environment depends on what kind of power source you use, whether you use something like coal or wind-based electrical power that charges the air pump.

There are many auto producers who are jumping on this technology, so let’s hope we see more on the streets soon. Way to go, George, for using and promoting such a great car!

Photogallery