What Happened To Zero Pollution Motors From Shark Tank Season 6?

The shift from fossil fuels to sustainable and renewable energy continues to be a major point of contention in the automobile industry. But even with production of hybrid and electric vehicles on the rise, some auto entrepreneurs are continuing the push to find even cleaner and more sustainable sources of energy to power the cars, trucks, and SUVs of the future.

In 2015, one entrepreneur purporting to be at the forefront of such an advancement even took an alternative energy concept to the pop culture arena when he pitched the panel of potential investors on ABC's hit reality series "Shark Tank." That entrepreneur is Ethan Tucker, who turned up during a Season 6 episode of the series seeking an investment deal for the AIRPod, a small urban automobile powered by compressed air.

Tucker appeared in front of the high-profile panel of sharks with a high-profile partner of his own: legendary crooner and part-time entrepreneur Pat Boone, who would note that air is the cheapest, cleanest, and most abundant source of energy on Earth. In pitch phase, the duo's air-powered automobile looks like a bit of a no-brainer, but if you've ever watched "Shark Tank," you know there's no such thing with cutthroat investors like Mark Cuban, Lori Grayner, and Kevin O'Leary involved. Here's how things shook out for Tucker, Boone, and the Zero Pollution Motors on "Shark Tank."

Many entrepreneurs take to the "Shark Tank" soundstage in search of funding for an alternative energy concept such as skateboards like the Inboard M1 from Season 8. Similarly, Ethan Tucker and Pat Boone sought backing to build a plant to manufacture Motor Development International's (MDI for short) air-powered automobiles, for which Tucker and Boone had savvily secured U.S. licensing rights.

Perhaps most intriguingly, the Zero Pollution Motors frontmen claim that the AIRPods will sell for as little as $10,000 when they start rolling off the line, which is impressive for a true zero-emissions vehicle. The duo hoped to further entice the sharks by offering a 50% stake of their company. However, the ask was a whopping $5 million in backing, which would make their deal one of the bigger investments in "Shark Tank" history. 

Investors like outgoing "Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban felt that price was too high, particularly as Zero Pollution Motors offered just a stake in the Hawaiian plant and region, with the rest of continental United States still being up for grabs to any investor who liked the idea. Resident "Shark Tank" gear head Robert Herjavec, on the other hand, was intrigued enough to offer the $5 million for the Hawaiian plant. But even his deal was contingent on Tucker and Boone helping facilitate the licensing purchase of rights to build AIRPod plants in the rest of the country.

Jump ahead almost a decade, and you've likely noticed that AIRPods have yet to take the streets of Hawaii, or any other U.S. state by storm. As noted during Zero Pollution Motors' "Shark Tank" pitch, getting vehicles approved for sale in the United States is hardly an easy task, and AIRPods — which reportedly passed safety tests in Europe — had not even begun safety testing stateside. 

However, another factor may have played into the delay of Zero Pollution Motors' Hawaiian manufacturing facilities as well: Robert Herjavec eventually backed out of the deal he struck on "Shark Tank." That news was confirmed by Zero Pollution Motors in September 2015, with the company announcing Herjavec's departure in a FaceBook post.

As for why Herjavec didn't follow through with the "Shark Tank" deal he struck with Zero Pollution Motors, it would seem the ZPM team was able to facilitate a meeting for the shark to pitch MDI big boss and AIRPod inventor Guy Merge on U.S. licensing. However, the pair were apparently not able to close a deal for U.S. territories, with a previous ZPM Facebook post claiming, "Robert rejected the offer from MDI for the U.S. rights..." As Herjavec's ZPM deal was contingent on U.S. rights beyond Hawaii, the prime time shark opted not to pursue a future with the AIRPod brand.

If you've been tracking Zero Pollution Motors' Facebook page, you might've noticed it hasn't been updated since 2018, so it's not entirely clear where the company stands these days. It is, however, apparent that ZPM has not yet managed to secure funding to build a manufacturing plant in Hawaii or any other region in the United States. The company is, however, continuing to take reservations for AIRPods on its website, and is even claiming that they may begin delivering vehicles to U.S. buyers sometime in 2024. But it looks like the company is currently only fulfilling orders for air-powered golf carts to the U.S., signaling that AIRPods may not yet be street legal in the states.

There is, of course, another complicating factor in that U.S. buyers are on the hook for any shipping fees incurred to bring their vehicle to the U.S. The vehicles are currently being manufactured at Motor Development International's plant in Luxembourg. That alone may be a deterrent for U.S. buyers, as import fees from Europe can be steep and could potentially be prohibitive when shipping an automobile — even one as compact as the current model, AIRPod 2.0.

For now, there's really not much information available out there concerning the futures of Zero Pollution Motors or Motor Development International. So, feel free to make of that what you will.