Asia-Pacific

World's 1st wind-powered car tested in Australia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-14 15:04

SYDNEY - The world's first wind-powered car arrived in Sydney on Monday after traveling across Australia at a cost of 16 AU dollars ($16), according to Australian Associated Press (AAP).

The Wind Explorer came to Sydney at about 02:00 am (local time) on Monday after traveling more than 5,000 km across the country from Perth, via Adelaide and Melbourne.

The car that runs on wind-generated energy is a prototype built by Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer over about six months in Germany. It is powered by state of the art lithium-ion batteries that are charged overnight through a mobile wind turbine.

"We wanted to prove how good the technology is," Gion told AAP in Sydney.

The carbon emissions-free Wind Explorer is a very compact, low to the ground pod-shaped car that would be dwarfed in size by any ordinary car.

It's also extremely light - free of passengers it weighs about 200 kg, against the average car which weights about a tone.

During their journey across Australia, which took about three weeks, Gion and Simmerer attracted many curious onlookers.

"People are ready for this technology. They want to have it and use it," said Gion.

The prototype Wind Explorer has only been seriously tested in Australia so far.

But Gion is confident that a "wind powered" car will one day be available on the market.