We heard that MDI, the creators of the AirCar - excuse us, the "Compressed Air Vehicle" - broke off all commercial relations with Miguel Celades, who had been carrying its commercial operations for a while. We tried multiple times to contact Mr. Celades for further explanations, but couldn't. So, we turned to MDI's new webpage and other sources for the information.

The good news is that MDI is still working on their vehicle and has taken some steps to get it on the road. The French environmental website Ecolo-Trader has unveiled a picture of the first MiniCAT model with regular car plates, which should mean it's road-worthy and has received all the legal requirements from the French Ministry of Industry. MDI's MiniCAT has an range of 80 km while running exclusively with compressed air and, thanks to a system which heats compressed air (using fuel), the range can be extended even further. According to the website, which refers to the Southern France newspaper, MDI is planning a second factory to increase output of the MiniCAT. The model will be on display for the Paris Motor Show and on sale in France at the beginning of 2009.

[Source: Ecolo-Trader]

We've had already a few posts about MDI's Air Car, a vehicle which is powered by stored compressed air. Although we couldn't make it to Nice to interview its creator, Guy Nègre, we could visit MDI's Sales Manager, based in Barcelona. And it was a very enjoyable chat (although we'll need to go to Nice to test the car).

AutoblogGreen: Thanks Mr. Celades for having us here in your office. You have been and are involved in many businesses, so how did you get involved with MDI not even coming from the car industry?

Miguel Celades: I had been interested for long in finding out wether the water-powered car existed. One day, I metioned this to a friend of mine and he told me that I should be stopping looking for that and instead focus on something realistic but groundbreaking. He introduced me to Guy Nègre, the creator of the compressed air engine, back in mid-1998.

ABG: So tell us a little bit about Mr. Nègre and how you met him.

(Continue reading after the jump to find out some history, what MDI is planning for the near future, some highlights on their business model and their agreement with Tata Motors)

Just yesterday, we ran a post indicating that some people in the United States of America would like to see some better small cars on our side of the pond. Despite what many believe, not all Americans believe that bigger is always better. I know that trucks and SUVs have been all the rage for the last ten years or so, but small cars such as the Mini, New Beetle and even the Smart are proving that small can be cool too. OK, so that covers cars, but what about other forms of transportation. Well, small private jets are certainly considered cool, and scooters are making inroads in the typically huge custom cruiser style motorcycle market, not that I expect most Harley owners to trade their Road Kings in for Vespas or anything. But how about boats? I know that many consider a huge yacht to be the utmost in luxury confines, but then again, I also know some would choose kayaking over pontoon-ing any day. So, why not take a moment to consider a catamaran which is capable of folding down to the size of a large gym bag? Ever dreamed of sailing on the ocean blue but realized that you couldn't afford to (I'm a poet...)? Try this one out for size.

[Source: Gizmag]