Wind-Powered Vehicle Shatters Records
The Wind Explorer finished its 18-day, 3,100-mile trek across Australia this week, setting several records – including first wind-powered vehicle to cross a continent.
The Wind Explorer isn’t your average vehicle; it’s not even your average electric vehicle. The car is powered by an 8kWh lithium-ion battery, but instead of plugging the car into an outlet or charging station, it is recharged using a mobile wind turbine. There is a plug just in case it’s not windy enough.
The diminutive vehicle, weighing in at just 440 pounds, is made of carbon fiber and aluminum and has racing-bike tires. The goal of the Wind Explorer project was to prove that transportation can be self-sufficient and environmentally friendly, all while using technology that already exists.
The German adventurers that created the Wind Explorer, Stefan Simmerer and Dirk Gion, made it from Perth to Melbourne in a little over two weeks, reaching a top speed of 55 mph.
You may also like…
Rapid Development of Offshore Wind Energy on the Horizon
Charge Up While You Eat and Drink
Electric Vehicles 101
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments.
The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
Green Recycle Man
posted on February 19th, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Now lets see them make a wind powered Ford Taurus.
michelle
posted on February 20th, 2011 at 9:32 pm
that`great,
keep pioneering. i can already see motels with wind turbines, providing energie to no budget travellers… support the project… http://www.wind-explorer.com/index.php/project-en