Wind-powered cars use wind energy to directly power the vehicle or generate electricity. While the idea dates back centuries, recent technology has made it possible. Wind-powered cars are not practical for transportation on normal roads, but wind energy can power electric vehicles. Early attempts at wind-powered locomotion were similar to modern land yachts, which participate in racing competitions. More recently, wind-powered cars built for maximum speed have appeared, borrowing technology from the aerospace industry. An electric car can also be considered wind-powered if the electricity is generated from wind energy.
A wind-powered car is a type of vehicle that is powered by wind energy either directly or using electricity generated by wind energy. Although the idea of wind-powered vehicles dates back centuries, technology has only realized this dream in recent years. Since most wind-powered cars are banned on normal roads and highways, they are much less practical for transportation. Wind energy can, however, be used to power electric vehicles.
Inventors and entrepreneurs have long sought to power vehicles using the free and plentiful energy of wind. In the early 17th century, a Flemish engineer named Simon Stevin built a wooden carriage propelled by large sails and used it to entertain royalty along European sandy beaches. The gusty winds of the midwestern United States inspired lowland wind farm attempts, some of which have become local folklore. An HM Fletcher of Plainview, Texas is said to have built a windmill-powered chariot that successfully traveled 17 miles (30 km) in 48.
Many of these early attempts at wind-powered locomotion are similar to today’s land yachts, a type of wind-powered car that uses sails. Modern land yachts look like sailboats with wheels and participate in racing competitions held all over the world. Advanced land yachts can travel about three times faster than the speed of the wind.
More recently, another type of wind-powered car has appeared on the scene, one built for maximum speed and featuring a more streamlined shape. In 2009, a British wind-powered vehicle called the Greenbird set a world speed record of 126.2 mph (203 km/h). Greenbird borrows technology from the aerospace industry, with a large vertical sail similar to the wings of an airliner. Two years earlier, a group of German students built a wind-powered car using mountain bike parts, a lightweight carbon fiber body, and a large rotor to capture wind energy and propel the vehicle’s wheels. These types of cars can travel directly against the wind or at an angle to it.
Various Internet forums have been the site of a long-standing debate about whether a wind-powered car can be built to travel downwind faster than the speed of the wind itself. In July 2010, a vehicle called the Blackbird successfully accomplished this feat, seemingly ending the debate. Using a type of feedback loop between the wind-driven wheels and a large propeller that provided thrust, the Blackbird achieved speeds 2.8 times faster than the wind speed.
An electric car could also be considered in this category if the electricity is generated from wind energy. Stationary wind turbines can be used to charge car batteries without producing any pollution. At least one city in the United States has a wind-powered electric vehicle charging station. Some electric concept cars have been optimized for this type of operation, and some even claim to offer devices that can harness wind energy while driving the car.
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