Comments on: Running a Car on Wind Energy

By: Kieran Miles

Kieran Miles — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:20:39 +0000

I already had a similar idea and have sent it to both Mclaren and Lotus however my design works way differently than this one and I personally feel my idea is much better. Obviously I can’t go into too much detail without giving my designs away but this is still a good design.

By: sandya rao

sandya rao — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 13:25:21 +0000

I was traveling on a highway recently and on putting my hand out of the window I could feel the energy of the wind. If this wind energy could run a turbine placed in the front of the car it could work along with a fuel engine to save a lot of fuel consumption. But will this work on the streets of a busy city in India where traffic literally crawls?

By: ellen

ellen — Mon, 31 May 2010 08:33:46 +0000

it seems like a good idea that we might be able to achieve in the future and have on our streets, however it would be very expensive and most people wont buy it at the price mentioned in the article, also before people buy it they’d want to know how much it will cost them to keep running

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 20 May 2010 06:47:28 +0000

Guys it is very real. and it works Fine. Rather the tech they are using can be improved to give Max output.

Perpetual motion using magnets is also very likely possible, but as the invention will hurt the Economy, as billions of people rely on production of natural resources. The Govt. is doing its best to laps it.

By: Kashyap

Kashyap — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 09:27:29 +0000

This is a wonderful idea. This is theoretically impossible yet its possible. I can remember perpetual motion machines, which follow the same rule. But the boosting the power to a higher voltage may cost much.

By: anant

anant — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:24:29 +0000

This is not a great idea as it lacks physics as well as the cost is not practical one. Anyone with a small sense of mind can develop such a car in a small cost with a better design.

By: manu

manu — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:34:04 +0000

I think it’s a great idea because wind is the cost free thing available all where on earth and i think we have to use the turbines near by the tyers so that the turbines can move more faster.

By: dinger

dinger — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:19:03 +0000

What if the turbines were attached to the drive shaft as well as batteries? Should the car not be propelled mostly by the wind and the batteries for starting the car?

By: sayan

sayan — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:39:45 +0000

This is a cool idea! I had also come up with the idea of charging car batteries using tiny “wind turbines” a few years back, but everyone I told it to said it was no good, and would never work! Its good to see that someone is actually making a car that will be powered by wind (even if it is only 20-25%).

My idea was to have tiny wind turbines along the sides of the car, which would be normally be enclosed, but would be revealed periodically to turn in the wind generated due to the cars’ movement and would hence charge the (spare) battery. People said that it would cause too much resistance, and so would not be successful. But I still think it is possible to overcome that with clever engineering. So, I am very happy to find this website and learn about this car! Shows me that my idea was not completely useless…

By: Randy

Randy — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:11:08 +0000

I came up with a wind car over 20 years ago which uses wind-circulated actuated turbines to power the electric motor. I went through a stupid invention submission company that did nothing for me but take my money!

From now on I will build things myself and stop listening to hype, greed, and lies.

By: Salena

Salena — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:04:55 +0000

I was just talking about this in class yesterday! I told my friend how cool it would be if we could build a wind powered car.

By: Jacie

Jacie — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:06:22 +0000

I think it’s a great start. It may not be the best but over the years it’ll be modified until all the kinks are worked out and it’s actually affordable for the average person. I really think that we should be going away from fossil fuels and be focusing on renewable energy. Right now the fuel cell, biofuel, and solar energy are our best choices to be working with. Hopefully America will hurry up and get some good and affordable hybrids soon.

By: jeross

jeross — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:48:17 +0000

How about changing attitudes. I just moved to Florida everyone is driving every where all the time! No convenient trains for long distances, just airplanes. AC on, TV on, light on everywhere. Isn’t that the first step. And here some people are worried because of the US stocks of fuel? Turn your TV off and start using your brain for real. You want to be independent on gas while you already fed up the world with no limits to of any kind as long as the money goes in your pocket

By: Jon C.

Jon C. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:33:30 +0000

Sorry for the lack of physics understanding, but despite the possibility of gaining energy from wind during acceleration, can’t we design a system which use wind flow to retract energy during deceleration process? Imagine how much breaking we use, can’t this wasted energy be transferred elsewhere?

By: Tommy Sand

Tommy Sand — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:53:44 +0000

I believe the idea of this car is to INCREASE the power output by using the turbines to recharge the battery? This does not mean it’s a perpetual machine or anything of the sort.

The car starts up using energy from the battery. Once it gets moving, the battery will be gradually recharged via the turbine movement. In other words, it’s an electric car, boosting the battery capacity using the turbines.

The only trouble I see is… what happens if you drive in the same direction as the wind, and at the same speed? Would this not mean you wouldn’t get any charge of the battery (thus, reducing the range of the car)?

Oh, and one more thing: The price is NOT in DOLLARS, it’s POUNDS. I assume this to be British pounds sterling – meaning a lot more than $100K – more like £144K at today’s exchange rates!

This price is not unreasonably high for a newly developed car like this. Like all other products, the price is sky high while on the conceptual stage, and once a means of mass production is initiated, the price will undoubtedly go down. Way down. A reasonable price for a vehicle using this form of energy would probably be around $30K (putting us in Denmark at $84K because of the 180% registration tax on new vehicles).

Oh yeah, and: I’m from Denmark. The gas prices here currently vary from around $6 to $10 per gallon. People drive everywhere here, and people do get accustomed to the high prices. Last year, the price rocketed to around $13/gallon, and for a short while people drove less. But only for a short while.

People also drive fast here, more than half go over the speed limit. It’s sort of the norm here, basically.

By: Rucio

Rucio — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:41:49 +0000

Actually, as the price shot up, oil use plummeted last fall in the U.S. — presumably due to less gasoline use from people driving less and more efficiently, since heating season hadn’t yet begun.

By: John Russo

John Russo — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:46:18 +0000

I should mention that I read a blog from a former GM engineer on an engine he designed. His knowledge is highly advanced. He also knows GM could have been far ahead in the conservation area of engines but chose to go conventional wasteful gas engines. In addition there are a few other people who have worked out many of the problems dealing with electrical motors, batteries and recharging. They were at GM’s doorstep getting knocked down while GM was taking our money.

So the knowledge and technical expertise is out there waiting to be implemented. Like anything else made we iron out the problems as we go along. I have stated in the past that if US automakers don’t get their act together and do what’s right for this country the Japanese will. They are already doing it. Theories and arguments are no longer valid issues. We need progress.

Profits have always gotten in the way of progress. Now we have to let high profits take a back seat to progress and conversion. The companies need profits for operating but these have to be secondary. The main focus must be on the product. Profits will follow.

Unfortunately many people will not take conservative measures. We may need programs developed that will maintain an awareness that we are not out of the woods yet. Mass transportation and fuel conservation are still necessary ideas.

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:40:33 +0000

This is crazy…
I wrote a paper about an idea for a batter powered car that recharged with wind power.
I really think it could change the world if it is developed right

By: Carl Knox

Carl Knox — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:55:58 +0000

Bad idea.

First is the premise that it can attain 155 mph. This means that the motor is oversized for normal freeway speeds and reasonable acceleration. The average Joe is paying for more than he’ll use, plus the extra weight of this size motor that’s always being carried around. This is clearly for bragging rights.

Second is the claim of time to recharge. Charge stations on 120v take 5-6 hours, 240V take 2-3 hours, at a substantial current. No battery technology will change this time. It depends on the source power, and no PV module produces this kind of power, either.

Last is reclaiming power through a turbine driven by air intakes. It takes an exponential amount of power to overcome the added drag, where the turbine generator doesn’t change its efficiency, which result in a net loss of power, exponential with increased speed (CAV^3). You can’t change the laws of physics.

Lose the turbine, air intakes, electronics. Save yourself weight, drag, complexity and expense. Get realistic about solar recharge capabilities. Right-size the motor.

By: John Russo

John Russo — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:40:21 +0000

There are many good pros and cons discussed within. The price is always a factor as is the reality of seeing as running model. In the beginning of any idea or product development the cost is usually high. We need to take the actual ideas, apply them and should they work out find a way to apply these concepts into making an affordable vehicle. If this is not possible then all the debates and arguments will have been in vain and all this will simply vanish. Right now, we need to move forward and make converting our vehicles to any alternative fuels affordable.

The vehicles from automakers are not up to standards for conservation or alternative energy nor are they affordable. The credit market is tight so no one will be buying big ticket items, like a $100,000 car. Ponzi schemes, bank closings, gas prices and foreclosures have financially devastated many Americans. Don’t expect to see too much financial activity for a while.