Tata Motors tests air-powered vehicles

At least two of Tata Motors’ vehicles can now run on compressed air! Tata Motors says it has successfully completed tests with the compressed air engine concept ‘in two Tata Motors vehicles’.

This is the first stage of the development by Tata Motors of a technology licensed from Motor Development International (Luxembourg). In January 2007, the two firms signed a licence agreement that enables Tata Motors to produce and sell compressed-air cars using MDI technology in India. The agreement covered two phases of activities encompassing the technology transfer and proof of the technical concept in the first phase. The second phase includes concluding the development of the compressed air engine into specific vehicle applications, and stationary applications like gensets.

In the second phase, the two companies will work together to conclude development of the technology to industrialise a market-ready product application over the coming years.

This technology, according to a company spokesperson, can be used for both passenger and commercial vehicles.