What Happened to the Air-Powered Car on Shark Tank

The air-powered car featured on Shark Tank—pitched by Zero Pollution Motors as the “AIRPod”—secured a televised offer of $5 million from Robert Herjavec in 2015, but the deal never closed. The startup did not bring a vehicle to market, and as of 2025 there is no Shark Tank–backed air-powered car in production or on U.S. roads. Below is a detailed look at the pitch, the fallout, and where the technology stands today.

The Pitch: Big Vision, Bigger Contingencies

Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM), the U.S. licensee for European firm MDI’s compressed-air vehicle technology, appeared in Season 6 of ABC’s Shark Tank. The team showcased the AIRPod, a small, three-wheel urban vehicle that they said could be built in local “microfactories,” target a price near $10,000, reach neighborhood speeds, and run primarily on stored compressed air with zero tailpipe emissions.

Impressed by the concept’s urban use case and operating cost claims, Robert Herjavec offered $5 million for 50% to launch U.S. manufacturing—initially in Hawaii—subject to due diligence and licensing certainty. Other Sharks flagged concerns about crash safety, regulatory approval, and the practicality of compressed air as an energy carrier at scale.

Why the Shark Tank Deal Collapsed

After filming, the offer faced extensive due diligence. Multiple barriers emerged, ultimately scuttling the investment and stalling U.S. commercialization.

The following list outlines the core issues that contributed to the breakdown of the deal and the project’s inability to reach market:

• Licensing and rights uncertainty: Post-show, questions arose over whether ZPM held clear, unencumbered U.S. manufacturing and distribution rights from MDI, the European technology owner.
• Manufacturing readiness: The microfactory model required substantial capital, tooling, supplier commitments, and a validated production process that was not yet in place.
• Regulatory hurdles: Any road-going vehicle must pass U.S. federal safety standards (FMVSS) and crash testing; the AIRPod had not completed this process.
• Technology maturity: Compressed-air powertrains faced efficiency, range, and refueling infrastructure challenges that were unresolved at commercial scale.
• Leadership and alignment: Public comments following the episode indicated misalignment between stakeholders and the technology licensor, complicating the path to closing.

Taken together, these issues undermined investor confidence, and the agreed-on terms did not survive due diligence—so the televised deal never became a funded investment.

What Happened to Zero Pollution Motors

Following the failed deal, ZPM’s public activity dwindled. The company did not open a U.S. factory or begin sales, and it did not announce the successful completion of U.S. safety certification. Over time, its web and social channels went largely quiet. By the early 2020s, industry trackers widely treated ZPM as inactive, with no evidence of vehicles delivered to customers in the United States.

Where the AIRPod and Compressed-Air Cars Stand Now

The underlying compressed-air concept did not disappear, but it also has not achieved mainstream commercialization. MDI, the European developer, continued R&D and prototypes, and large automakers—including Tata Motors in India—have at times explored compressed-air or hybrid air systems. Nonetheless, no mass-market, road-legal air-powered passenger car is on sale in the U.S. as of 2025.

Here are the key status points as of 2025:

• Zero Pollution Motors: No U.S. production, sales, or regulatory approvals announced; the company appears inactive.
• MDI/AIRPod in Europe: Periodic prototype demonstrations and updated concepts have been shown, but there is no broad commercial rollout.
• Automaker interest: Research efforts (including past collaborations such as Tata Motors’ exploratory projects) have not yielded a consumer vehicle for sale.
• Infrastructure and policy: Compressed-air refueling infrastructure, standards, and economic cases remain underdeveloped relative to battery-electric and hydrogen-fuel-cell alternatives.

In short, the technology remains niche and developmental, with momentum in the market captured instead by battery-electric vehicles, which have scaled manufacturing and infrastructure far faster.

Timeline at a Glance

The following chronology summarizes key moments from the television pitch to the present day.

1. 2015: ZPM pitches the AIRPod on Shark Tank; Robert Herjavec offers $5M for 50% pending due diligence and rights clarity.
2. 2016–2017: Public comments indicate the deal did not close; questions persist about licensing and production readiness.
3. Late 2010s–early 2020s: No U.S. crash certification, plant opening, or sales materialize; ZPM’s public presence fades.
4. 2020–2025: MDI continues concept work overseas; no mass-market air-powered car launches in the U.S.

This sequence illustrates that despite initial excitement, the project never cleared the commercial and regulatory hurdles required to reach American consumers.

Bottom Line

The Shark Tank spotlight did not translate into a road-ready product. The promised $5 million deal for the AIRPod collapsed in due diligence, Zero Pollution Motors ceased visible operations, and no air-powered passenger car from the show has entered U.S. production as of 2025.

Summary

The air-powered car on Shark Tank—Zero Pollution Motors’ AIRPod—received a headline $5 million offer from Robert Herjavec in 2015, contingent on licensing and manufacturing milestones. The deal was never finalized, U.S. regulatory approval and production did not occur, and the startup effectively went inactive. While the core compressed-air concept continues to surface in prototypes abroad, there is still no commercially available, road-legal air-powered car in the United States.

What happened to Aira after Shark Tank?

Aira had some strong success after the Shark Tank, though they did not receive the Shark Tank bump after the show, considering their product was not ready for sale yet. Aira came out with the FreePower charger soon after Shark Tank and eventually rebranded the whole company as FreePower (via FreePower).

How is boost oxygen doing after Shark Tank?

Boost Oxygen has experienced significant growth and expanded into a leading global brand since its appearance on Shark Tank in 2019, securing a deal with Kevin O’Leary and seeing a boost in sales and retailer distribution, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has grown its operations, product line, and staff, and is now available in over 20,000 retail locations and 50+ countries worldwide. 
Growth and Sales

• Increased Sales: Boost Oxygen’s sales saw rapid growth after Shark Tank, reaching $15 million by 2023. 
• Retail Expansion: The company expanded its presence from 4,000 to over 8,000 retailers and now has over 20,000 locations in the U.S. 
• Global Reach: Boost Oxygen is now exported to over 50 countries worldwide, solidifying its position as the leading brand in the portable personal oxygen industry. 

Post-Shark Tank Developments 

• In-House Manufacturing: Boost Oxygen began manufacturing its products in-house to meet demand and control quality.
• Staff and Facilities: The company tripled its staff size and relocated to larger, bigger facilities to accommodate growth.
• Product Line Expansion: Boost Oxygen expanded its product line with new packaging designs, including a festive holiday label.

Impact of the Pandemic 

• Sales Surge: The company experienced dramatically increased sales during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers sought affordable oxygen solutions for respiratory health.
• Education and Communication: Boost Oxygen emphasized education and addressed consumer questions about respiratory health during the pandemic, which helped maintain sales and meet demand.

Partnerships and Endorsements

• Kevin O’Leary: The Shark Tank deal with Kevin O’Leary was a significant endorsement, and he has continued to use and promote the product. 
• American Red Cross: Boost Oxygen is an official licensee of the American Red Cross. 
• Sports Partnerships: The company has partnered with sports teams, including the University of Florida Gators, and sports figures like quarterback Graham Mertz, expanding its reach to the sports performance market. 

Is the AirCar still in business?

It was a fun idea anyway…… “AFTER SHARK TANK UPDATE Zero Pollution Motors is currently out of business. The company is known for their AIRPod , colloquially deemed the “Air Car” as it’s an eco-friendly vehicle powered by compressed air.

What happened to the AirCar in Shark Tank?

The AIRPod “air car” featured on Shark Tank never made it to market; the deal Robert Herjavec offered for Zero Pollution Motors fell through because the company didn’t own the necessary U.S. distribution rights for the technology. The company is now out of business, and the project is considered a cautionary tale and one of Shark Tank’s most mysterious disappearances, with the website and social media pages going unmaintained and no production models ever manufactured.
 
What Happened to the AIRPod?

• The Shark Tank Pitch: In 2015, Zero Pollution Motors pitched the AIRPod, a compressed air-powered, zero-emission car expected to cost $10,000 and have a 100-mile range. 
• The Failed Deal: Robert Herjavec made a conditional offer of $5 million for 50% equity, contingent on the company securing broader U.S. licensing rights. 
• The Catch: The deal collapsed because Zero Pollution Motors did not possess these essential U.S. rights, as they were only a distributor. 

The Aftermath

• Company Inactivity: The company became inactive by late 2018. 
• Lack of Production: No AIRPod production models were ever manufactured, and the company never brought its technology to the U.S. market. 
• Stalled Project: Challenges with licensing, production, and U.S. safety regulations halted progress for the AIRPod. 
• A Vanishing Act: The project remains unfulfilled, earning its place as one of Shark Tank’s most prominent “vanishing acts”.