Car powered by wind, electricity, crosses Australian continent

A car primarily powered by wind and kites has completed a 3,100 mile journey across Australia, which some advocates say proves that scientists now have the technology to power automobiles with renewable energy resources even for long distance trips. The vehicle, known as the "Wind Explorer," was created by German engineer Stefan Simmerer and sportsman Dirk Gion, who both piloted the prototype during its Australian test drive. The car, which has an open race car-style body made of carbon-fiber and is suspended on bicycle tires, is powered by a lithium ion battery that was recharged at night by a mobile wind turbine. In addition, kites were used to trap strong winds when possible for power."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," Gion said in an interview with Reuters, adding that the Wind Explorer is only 450 pounds with batteries loaded and can reach speeds of over 55 miles per hour. However, both Gion and Simmerer admitted the journey was far from easy. The vehicle hit temperatures of 122 to 140 degrees while the pair crossed Australia's Nullarbor Plains, which they feared would cause the automobile's batteries to overheat. Since the car sits only six inches off the road, Gion told Reuters the hot air coming into the vehicle would burn their skin, while at other times they would be freezing.Although they said the winds would occasionally fail them, the pair told the source they were able to run the vehicle on wind power for 1,500 miles, on kite power for 300 miles while electricity was used for the remaining 1,300 miles. Gion and Simmerer said the electricity costs only reached about $10 Australian dollars for the entire trip. According to the Wind Explorer website, the vehicle set three world records during its Australian journey: the first time a continent has been crossed by a wind powered vehicle, the longest overall land distance ever crossed, and the longest distance covered in 36 hours.As the price of oil rises and environmental concerns loom large, some automakers are taking steps to either create or increase their production of energy efficient cars. While gasoline-electric hybrids are becoming a mainstream seller, some companies have gone a step further with purely electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt. Renewable energy resources like solar and wind are the next step for automobiles. Students at Purdue University in Indiana recently built a solar-powered automobile designed to look like a normal car to increase its market appeal. The Purdue Solar Racing team said the vehicle achieved the equivalent of 4,548 miles per gallon of gas. Manufacturing giant General Electric announced it has plans to invest $600 million toward the construction of the largest solar panel factory in America. GE, which also has a history of investing in wind power and electric cars, said it hopes to manufacture solar panels at a scale that would drive costs down and ultimately make the technology more financially accessible.