28 October 2002: A French inventor who has built a car powered by compressed air which is pollution-free now expects it will be on the road in 2004. Guy Negre’s power unit depends on cold air compressed in tanks to 300 times atmospheric pressure being heated and fed into the cylinders of a piston engine.

The CityCAT car can be refilled using an air compressor and will cost E6,800 in its Smart Car-like form. It has one row of seats wide enough for three people. Negre is a former Formula 1 racing driver. he showed the vehicle at the recent Paris Motor Show.

The inventor says it can run for 10 hours at low speeds without refuelling, or 120 miles, and can be recharged at home. It has a top speed of 68mph. The first one on the road will be on sale towards the end of 2004.

Negre’s Motor Development International is not selling the cars directly, but franchising out small 4,000 units-a-year ‘factories’ to people who want to build it. The range will include mini-vans, pickups, and taxis (above), all ideal for city applications.

CAT® technology or Compressed Air Technology® is a patented, proprietary technology developed by Guy Negre. To date, over 32 worldwide patents have been filed for the first zero pollution motor developed by MDI.

Although the technology is new, the idea isn't completely unknown to Formula One fans or those interested in engine technology. In fact, every Formula One engine starts with a shot of compressed-air as an Energy-Booster.

Guy Negre has simply extended its potential by turning it into a single source of energy for running the engine.