Press Release: [A ghastly translation from French it would seem.]
On June 22, 2019, MDI delivered to Veolia the Air’Volution for the metropolis of Lille. This non-compacted waste collection vehicle is the first industrial vehicle powered by compressed air on public roads in the 21st century. It’s a big step for MDI, with strong symbolic significance.
For several years, MDI SA, its subsidiaries CQFD Air Solution and MDI Prod, are working on the realization of this industrial vehicle that combines several singularities.
The most important feature is, of course, its propulsion. What makes moving the Air’Volution is neither gasoline, diesel, nor electricity. The truck’s fuel is compressed air. The air is compressed under 248 bar and stored in filament winding carbon fiber tanks. The vehicle concedes no smoke in the wake, no loud noise, no pollution, no carbon dioxide, and no fine particles allowing only cold air expelling from the muffler. A simple and inexpensive solution to the pollution problems of urban centers and health repercussions.
This industrial truck is the outcome of a close collaboration between MDI’s subsidiaries and our customer Veolia, for their users’ optimal efficiency. The ergonomics of access to the cabin, to the work accessories (high-pressure cleaner, collection tray), allows the rippers to work in comfort and safety, without noise or pollution in the streets.
The vehicle moves at a reduced speed, adapted to the collection. [See sign on the rear.] The absence of noise and pollution allows proximity to users of public roads and facilitates the relationship between service providers and residents: an enjoyment that benefits everyone.
Throughout the development of the vehicle, since the start, the design has been minded. We believe collection vehicles in an urban context can be not only light and clean but also smooth and modern. For MDI, the thoughtfulness in the design in the range of MDI vehicles is fundamental. The AirPod2.0, soon produced, also attracts the drivers with its modern and bold design. The aesthetic proposal is thus entirely part of MDI’s objective to design the clean, functional, and economical vehicles of tomorrow.
The delivery of the Air’Volution is a symbolic event for MDI, as the engine model that equips this vehicle will also include all future MDI products: industrial vehicles, individual, and energy storage systems. The announcement on the public road is the pivotal moment before the industrial production of this engine.
MDI ensures the highest contractual confidentiality vis-à-vis its principal industrial partners (Tata Motors and Veolia). The Air’Volution of Veolia on the public road makes visible the work done. The public can now clearly recognize the reality and validity of the compressed air technology for vehicles, and the positive impact it can have on our environment. In the wake of this event, we invite readers concerned by the safeguarding of our planet, to participate, through a collaborative financing platform, in the co-financing of our next French vehicle manufacturing plant. You can visit our site www.mdi.lu for further details.
