What happened to the zero-pollution engines from Shark Tank Season 6?

The transition from fossil fuels to sustainable and renewable energy continues to be a major point of contention in the automotive industry. But even with the growing production of hybrid and electric vehicles, some automotive entrepreneurs continue to strive to find even cleaner and more sustainable energy sources to power the cars, trucks and SUVs of the future.

In 2015, an entrepreneur who claimed to be a pioneer of such progress even brought the concept of alternative energy into the arena of popular culture when he presented it to a panel of potential investors on the popular ABC reality show “Shark Tank.” That entrepreneur was Ethan Tucker, who appeared in a Season 6 episode of the show, seeking an investment deal for the AIRPod, a small city car that runs on compressed air.

Tucker appeared before the Shark panel with his own celebrity partner: legendary singer and part-time entrepreneur Pat Boone, who noted that air is the cheapest, cleanest and most abundant source of energy on Earth. The duo’s air-powered car seems like a no-brainer during the pitch phase, but if you’ve ever watched “Shark Tank,” you know that’s not the case when it involves ruthless investors like Mark Cuban, Lori Grayner and Kevin O’Leary. Here’s how things went for Tucker, Boone and Zero Pollution Motors on “Shark Tank.”

What happened to Zero Pollution Motors on Shark Tank?

ABC

Many entrepreneurs appear on Shark Tank seeking funding for alternative energy concepts such as skateboards, like the Inboard M1 from Season 8. Similarly, Ethan Tucker and Pat Boone sought financial backing to build a plant for air-powered cars from Motor Development International (MDI), for which Tucker and Boone had cleverly secured U.S. licensing rights.

Perhaps most intriguingly, Zero Pollution Motors’ leaders claim the AIRPods will sell for just $10,000 when they start rolling off the production line, which is impressive for a true zero-emissions vehicle. The duo had hoped to tempt the sharks even further by offering a 50% stake in their company. But the ask for support was a whopping $5 million, which would make their deal one of the largest investments in “Shark Tank” history.

Investors like Shark Tank star Mark Cuban thought the price was too high, especially since Zero Pollution Motors was only offering shares in the Hawaii and regional plant, while the rest of the continental United States was still up for grabs for any investor who liked the idea. On the other hand, Shark Tank’s resident hardware boss Robert Herjavec was intrigued enough to offer $5 million for the Hawaii plant. But even his deal was contingent on Tucker and Boone helping to facilitate the purchase of a license to build AIRPod plants in the rest of the country.

What happened to Zero Pollution Motors after Shark Tank?

Flash forward almost a decade, and you’ve probably noticed that the AIRPods have yet to take over the streets of Hawaii, or any other U.S. state. As Zero Pollution Motors’ Shark Tank showcase noted, getting vehicles approved for sale in the U.S. is no easy feat, and the AIRPods — which reportedly passed safety tests in Europe — haven’t even begun safety testing in the U.S.

But another factor may have played a role in delaying the launch of Zero Pollution Motors’ Hawaii manufacturing facilities: Robert Herjavec ultimately withdrew from his “Shark Tank” contract. The news was confirmed by Zero Pollution Motors in September 2015, when the company announced Herjavec’s departure in a Facebook post.

As for why Herjavec didn’t follow through on the “Shark Tank” deal he made with Zero Pollution Motors, it appears the ZPM team was able to facilitate a meeting where the shark presented MDI boss and AIRPod inventor Guy Merge with a U.S. licensing offer. However, the pair were apparently unable to close a deal for U.S. territories, with a previous ZPM Facebook post reading, “Robert declined MDI’s offer for U.S. rights…” Since Herjavec’s deal with ZPM was contingent on U.S. rights outside of Hawaii, the prime-time shark opted not to pursue the AIRPod brand.

What’s next for Zero Polluiton Motors?

If you’ve been following the Zero Pollution Motors Facebook page, you may have noticed that it hasn’t been updated since 2018, so it’s not entirely clear where the company is currently located. However, it’s clear that ZPM hasn’t yet managed to secure funding to build a manufacturing facility in Hawaii or anywhere else in the United States. The company is still taking reservations for the AIRPods on its website and even claims that it could start delivering the vehicles to American customers in 2024. However, it appears that the company is currently only shipping orders for its air-powered golf carts to the US, meaning that the AIRPods may not be road legal in the US just yet.

Of course, there’s another complicating factor, as U.S. buyers must cover any shipping fees incurred to bring the vehicle into the U.S. The vehicles are currently built at Motor Development International’s facility in Luxembourg. That in itself could be a deterrent for U.S. buyers, as import fees from Europe can be steep and potentially prohibitive when shipping a car — even one as compact as the current model, the AIRPod 2.0.

There isn’t much information yet about the future of Zero Pollution Motors or Motor Development International. So go ahead, make of it what you will.