{"id":2762,"date":"2011-02-16T09:04:31","date_gmt":"2011-02-16T16:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=2762"},"modified":"2011-02-16T16:37:25","modified_gmt":"2011-02-16T23:37:25","slug":"mostly-borne-on-the-wind-across-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/mostly-borne-on-the-wind-across-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"(Mostly) Borne on the Wind Across Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wind surfing across southern Australia, a German team showed ingenuity and skill in a 3,000 mile journey that, as their web site boasts, used \u201cno electricity mains, no gasoline,\u201d and produced \u201czero CO2<\/sub>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Probably not a viable option for urban driving<\/p><\/div>\n

TG Daily<\/em> <\/a>and Gizmag<\/a><\/em> announced the successful crossing of Australia (Albany to Sydney) by a wind-powered car.\u00a0 Although the car carried a telescoping mast and small wind turbine to recharge its 8 killowatt hour lithium battery pack, the two designer\/drivers were forced to plug in to available sources from time to time, accounting for the $15 cost of the powering the expedition.\u00a0 When possible, they towed the 200 kilogram (440 pound) car with a kite.<\/p>\n

The Wind Explorer web site <\/a>proclaims that \u201cPlan[ning] your route with the Wind Explorer is… unique pioneering.\u00a0 But behind it, how efficient, autonomous and environmentally friendly mobility today can be!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Wind Explorer's route from Albany to Sydney<\/p><\/div>\n

Especially if you are an accomplished kite flyer.\u00a0 Even more outr\u00e9<\/em> than their portable wind turbine, the team used a large kite to pull them along the open stretches of beaches and highways that abound in the Land Down Under, although that free ride was not without danger.<\/p>\n