The revolution of the Indian “people’s car” continues as the Tata Nano still hasn’t finished it’s international debut. The petrol 33hp engine will soon be accompanied by a compressed air unit developed with the French over at MDI.

The engine, according to the company, emits a third of the CO2 emissions of an internal combustion engine. The cold air, compressed to 300 atmospheres, enters opposite tanks, is heated and moved to a piston engine which is then activated by the expansion of gases, which happens without any prior combustion.

The project from Guy Nègre was relaunched through a New York Times article that revealed it was possible to realise such a process. Tata has not, for the moment, commented on the revelations of the American daily.

Environmentalists are welcoming the news, as if the Tata Nano manages to pull this innovation off, it has some significant implications for the planet, which doesn’t really need the exhaust gas produced by millions of Indians entering the car market. The Tata Nano is at least making first steps into contributing to a new way of making cars.