Antinuclear

Across Australia for $10 in a wind-powered car

was powered primarily by a lithium ion battery that was recharged at night by a mobile wind turbine,

Wind-powered car succeeds in hard Australian voyage By Pauline Askin,SYDNEY Feb 16 (Reuters ) – A car powered primarily by wind and kites has made it across a vast swathe of Australia, enduring searing heat and freezing cold along the way — and all for roughly $10 Australian.

The more than 5,000 km (3,100 mile) journey of the “Wind Explorer” was the first major test for the prototype car, which its German inventors hoped would show that the technology already exists to power cars with renewable energy even through tough trips like this one.

“It is the first ‘road worthy’ wind-generated car that can travel these distances, and definitely the first kite-propelled car to drive on the roads anywhere in the world,” said Dirk Gion, who with Stefan Simmerer built the vehicle.

“We wanted to show that if you build a light-weight electric efficient car, they are ready today.”

The open, vaguely racer-style car has a carbon-fiber body and bicycle tires and was powered primarily by a lithium ion battery that was recharged at night by a mobile wind turbine, although a kite similar to a parasail was used at times instead.

While the car weighs only 80 kg (177 lb) without the batteries, even with the batteries loaded it totals only around 200 kg — still far below the weight of an average car. It can reach speeds of over 90 km per hour

Wind-powered car succeeds in hard Australian voyage | Energy & Oil | Reuters

February 17, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy