German wind powered car crosses Australia

[footstepsfrom#27]

This is ultra cool stuff...near zero emissions, the holy grail. If they can get the production costs down to where it's affordable...

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/y...ile-road-test/

Wind-powered car sets records in a 3,100-mile road test

By Ryan Fleming, DigitalTrends.com

Two German inventors have created an electric vehicle that recharges the battery through a wind turbine carried in the car. To test the vehicle, the duo recently completed a 3,100-mile trek across Australia.

It is almost like German adventurers Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer saw the latest models of electric cars, and decided to see if they could go out and make the manufacturers feel bad. In a move that will have green aficionados cheering and gearheads gently weeping at the state of the world, a new electric car powered by a wind turbine has just been unleashed into the Australian wilds.

The vehicle, known as the Wind Explorer, uses an electric battery similar to those found in most of the current generation of electric cars like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, but rather than needing to plug in every night, the Wind Explorer comes standard with a 20-foot retractable bamboo mast that holds a wind turbine to charge the battery. The Wind Runner can also be powered—or perhaps more accurately “dragged”—by a kite, assuming of course that there is ample wind. The result is a lightweight electric car that weighs under 500 pounds and has a top speed of 55 miles an hour, all with close to zero emissions.

To test their new eco-mobile, the Germans travelled to Australia, where they planned to drive (and sail) the Wind Explorer from the southwestern Australian town of Albany, head east on the southern coast, and arrive in Sydney on the southeastern tip of the continent to the cheers of a handful, and the bewildered stares of most. The entire trip took 18 days, covered 3,100 miles and set a handful of world records, including being the first wind-powered vehicle to cross a continent, the longest overall distance covered for a wind-powered vehicle on land, and the longest distance covered in 36 hours by a wind-powered vehicle, as well as several others in the same vein. The trip across Australia also marks the first nearly emission-free trip across a continent in a vehicle. Even horses, which some might consider green in a sense, emit more pollution from the methane in their waste than the Wind Explorer.

Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer

The Wind Explorer uses an 8kWh lithium-ion battery, similar to what most electric cars are packing; the difference is in the means of charging the battery. Although it has a plug to charge the battery from the power grid, the real focus of the Wind Explorer is the wind turbine. When the car is in need of a charge, the drivers hoist a 20-foot collapsible mast, housed in a special compartment that runs between the driver and passenger seat, and the turbine begins to charge the battery. Once fully charged, the vehicle averaged close to 250 miles before needing to be recharged.

The exact length of time it took to recharge the battery using a wind turbine varies with conditions, but from the grid, it typically recharges at a rate of 20-percent per hour at maximum input.

[footstepsfrom#27]

I think I want one.

[sirhcyennek81]

Awesome...unless you live where constant wind is an exception. People in Pueblo West should look into it though.

[DarkHorse30]

meh. Drill, baby drill

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by sirhcyennek81

Awesome...unless you live where constant wind is an exception. People in Pueblo West should look into it though.

It's powered by a battery like a regular electric car and recharges by this wind turbine that it tows. I don't think it has anything to do with where you live. The car charges at a rate of 20% of the charge per hour that the car is operating and runs 250 miles on one charge. If you don't need to plug in to re-charge that's a big part of the problem solved.

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

It's powered by a battery like a regular electric car and recharges by this wind turbine that it tows. I don't think it has anything to do with where you live. The car charges at a rate of 20% of the charge per hour that the car is operating and runs 250 miles on one charge. If you don't need to plug in to re-charge that's a big part of the problem solved.

Pretty sure there's a law of physics violation if you're saying that their movement generates enough wind to power the vehicle and charge it back up. Maybe I misunderstood you though.

[sirhcyennek81]

Originally Posted by That One Guy

Pretty sure there's a law of physics violation if you're saying that their movement generates enough wind to power the vehicle and charge it back up. Maybe I misunderstood you though.

I'm picturing a prius hauling a dutch windmill...

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by That One Guy

Pretty sure there's a law of physics violation if you're saying that their movement generates enough wind to power the vehicle and charge it back up. Maybe I misunderstood you though.

Just read the article.

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

Just read the article.

Well my internet just **** on me and I lost my response but I'm not retyping it all just so I can call you a prick in the end.

To sum it up though, if it were so simple that you could just charge up a car, stick a windmill on top of it, and it'd generate more power driving in circles than it consumed then we'd have our renewable energy source figured out instantly. Somewhere there has to be a multiplier and that is the 20 foot mast that is able to reach to areas where the wind power is stronger.

I'll call you a prick now for good measure though. Prick.

[Dedhed]

Originally Posted by That One Guy

Pretty sure there's a law of physics violation if you're saying that their movement generates enough wind to power the vehicle and charge it back up. Maybe I misunderstood you though.

I think the turbine is erected when the car is parked, and the batteries are recharged then. I don't think you drive around with a 20 foot pole over the car.

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by Dedhed

I think the turbine is erected when the car is parked, and the batteries are recharged then. I don't think you drive around with a 20 foot pole over the car.

Ahh.. for some reason I read it as they were actually doing it that way. Maybe because it also said it could be pulled by a kite. I figured that was why they had to do it in Australia.

Either way though, the car is powered off wind energy and his assertion that the location and, thus, the amount of wind were insignificant just doesn't work.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by That One Guy

Well my internet just **** on me and I lost my response but I'm not retyping it all just so I can call you a prick in the end.

To sum it up though, if it were so simple that you could just charge up a car, stick a windmill on top of it, and it'd generate more power driving in circles than it consumed then we'd have our renewable energy source figured out instantly. Somewhere there has to be a multiplier and that is the 20 foot mast that is able to reach to areas where the wind power is stronger.

I'll call you a prick now for good measure though. Prick.

I'm a prick for asking you to read the story? I see...I guess reading must really be a chore for you huh?

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

I'm a prick for asking you to read the story? I see...I guess reading must really be a chore for you huh?

No, you're a prick because I read the story. I was telling you I didn't think you were grasping something correctly and you act like I must've not read the story to even consider doubting you.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by That One Guy

Ahh.. for some reason I read it as they were actually doing it that way. Maybe because it also said it could be pulled by a kite. I figured that was why they had to do it in Australia.

Either way though, the car is powered off wind energy and his assertion that the location and, thus, the amount of wind were insignificant just doesn't work.

This took 8 seconds for me to find on Google.



See...wasn't that easy? You're questions are answered and now you don't have to make an ass of yourself anymore.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by That One Guy

No, you're a prick because I read the story. I was telling you I didn't think you were grasping something correctly and you act like I must've not read the story to even consider doubting you.

Sorry...next time I'll just assume you can't read very well. The story says point blank how it works.

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

It's powered by a battery like a regular electric car and recharges by this wind turbine that it tows. I don't think it has anything to do with where you live. The car charges at a rate of 20% of the charge per hour that the car is operating and runs 250 miles on one charge. If you don't need to plug in to re-charge that's a big part of the problem solved.

You put this in response to SirH saying you needed somewhere with constant wind.

Then you post a picture of the car being towed by the kite. This is what the OP said about that very same kite.

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

The Wind Runner can also be powered—or perhaps more accurately “dragged”—by a kite, assuming of course that there is ample wind.

Just so you don't have to keep making an ass of yourself. Again, why be a prick?

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by That One Guy

You put this in response to SirH saying you needed somewhere with constant wind.

Then you post a picture of the car being towed by the kite. This is what the OP said about that very same kite.

Just so you don't have to keep making an ass of yourself. Again, why be a prick?

I posted a short article that included how the thing works. You and others then wander around like befuddled Alzheimers patients speculating about how it works. I say, read the article. You say, "Don't be a prick".

Conclusion: you're the prick.

[That One Guy]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

I posted a short article that included how the thing works. You and others then wander around like befuddled Alzheimers patients speculating about how it works. I say, read the article. You say, "Don't be a prick".

Conclusion: you're the prick.

Point was that it's still based on wind and a complete lack of wind would leave you sitting on the side of the road. That's what SirH insinuated, what I agreed with, and what you somehow can't grasp. Now, obviously the 20 foot mast would mitigate that situation but it is not generating power simply by towing anything around as you possibly unintentionally stated.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by That One Guy

Point was that it's still based on wind and a complete lack of wind would leave you sitting on the side of the road. That's what SirH insinuated, what I agreed with, and what you somehow can't grasp. Now, obviously the 20 foot mast would mitigate that situation but it is not generating power simply by towing anything around as you possibly unintentionally stated.

Obviously you don't have a lack of wind if you're towing a bigass kite behind you, and the story directly states that it does generate it's power to recharge the battery as it's moving. It says so clearly, and you can watch the Youtube video as well if you still have questions.

I like how some people on this board can't wait to jump to some kind of insulting comment like "you can't grasp this" or other rude remarks, as if it's really important to them to be sure and make someone with an alternate opinion look stupid. This is the kind of idiotic conversation I don't have time for. If you read the story and still don't get how it works, I can't help you. I swear 90% of the time people post things in here that make it clear they never read the original post or linked to the story provided. I don't have time for it.

[Dedhed]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

Obviously you don't have a lack of wind if you're towing a bigass kite behind you, and the story directly states that it does generate it's power to recharge the battery as it's moving. It says so clearly, and you can watch the Youtube video as well if you still have questions.

I like how some people on this board can't wait to jump to some kind of insulting comment like "you can't grasp this" or other rude remarks, as if it's really important to them to be sure and make someone with an alternate opinion look stupid. This is the kind of idiotic conversation I don't have time for. If you read the story and still don't get how it works, I can't help you. I swear 90% of the time people post things in here that make it clear they never read the original post or linked to the story provided. I don't have time for it.

Dude. You TOTALLY HAVE FAILED to grasp what the article states. TOTALLY FAILED.

[sirhcyennek81]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

I posted a short article that included how the thing works. You and others then wander around like befuddled Alzheimers patients speculating about how it works. I say, read the article. You say, "Don't be a prick".

Conclusion: you're the prick.

I see where this is going.

No. You're the prick.

[Boomhauer]

I love me some google........

[broncocalijohn]

So you have to hold a big ass kite sometimes to generate power? Cant wait to see another dude coming down the other way and their kites get tangled. BTW, so if you buy this thing, do you get the wing man/benjamin franklin as part of the package or is that considered a luxury and an add-on?

[MagicHef]

-Kites and turbines are different things.

-The turbine is not deployed when the car is moving. Doing so would only lose more energy than was gained, per the 2nd law of thermodynamics.

-The kite is used to pull the car only by the force of the wind, it is not connected to the electric system at all.

-The 20% charge per hour is only when the car is plugged in, that's what "the grid" refers to.

-I know, I'm a prick.

[txtebow]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

This took 8 seconds for me to find on Google.



See...wasn't that easy? You're questions are answered and now you don't have to make an ass of yourself anymore.

The picture confirms that this version is completely impractical and a waste of a print article and the keystrokes required to write it. The mane thanks you.