First there were steam cars. Then they became gasoline cars. Now air-powered cars will come this way. This just goes to show that man has come a long way when it comes to vehicle technology. But what are air-powered cars really? For those who don’t know yet, it is a type of car equipped with a compressed air engine that can travel up to 124 miles for less than $2. Interesting, right?

Air-powered cars can run at 68 miles per hour to cover 124 miles. That’s about 8 hours of travel time. With that premise alone, you can see that these cars are much better than electric cars. Electric cars can only travel half that distance. At first, these air-powered cars are just plans. Now, they are in their testing stages. Motor Development International had successfully created OneCAT, the first commercial prototype of the air-powered automobile.

There are two ways to make an air powered car work. First, you have to recharge the tank. To do this, connect the car to a power outlet for about four hours. The second way you can start your car is much easier. You just need to plug the car into the air pump found at most gas stations for two minutes. After which your car should be ready to roll again. Just based on these facts, it is easy to see that air-powered cars are more economical and environmentally friendly. Plus, maintaining them isn’t as much of a headache as most cars today.

Right now, MDI is looking to create four types of air-powered cars. They have created archetypes for a taxi, a sedan, a van, and a station wagon. Roughly these cars will sell for just under $11,000. If the American car-buying public liked it, total car sales are expected to hit the mark.

These air powered cars from MDI have required 10 long years of research, testing and building. Finally, they have something solid to show people. With production underway, many people are expected to switch gears to this new car, especially the budget, environmentally and technology conscious.

The company seeks to create more than 30,000 air-powered cars annually. They currently have 70 people on their staff working eight hours a day to attend to the launch. In fact, the company is producing two types of engines. These cars alternately use the new technology of air propulsion and the conventional technology of gasoline cars.

The car will work like this: It will detect the speed of the car and switch the motors accordingly. For low speeds of 50 km/h, the air motor will work. Once the driver gets over that, he will turn on the fuel engine for more power and better performance on the road. It is said that this new generation of cars can use different types of gasoline, such as gas, biodiesel, alcohol and LPG.

The car’s air power mode is ideal for leisure driving around town. However, if you intend to drive down the highway and on a long trip, the car’s fuel mode will come in handy. This new engine technology in automobiles is certainly something to look forward to.