The Wind Explorer (Credit: Evonik)
The Wind Explorer, a lightweight zero-emission electric car piloted by German extreme sportsmen Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer, have traveled 3,000 miles across Australia, setting several world records in the process.
“I’m very proud to display the Wind Explorer at Cooper Union—a school distinguished by its engineering, architecture and fine arts curriculum,” said John Rolando, president of Evonik Corporation. “The Wind Explorer is a great example of how resource-efficient and environmentally-friendly vehicles can be today. The products used to create the Wind Explorer offer us a glimpse into the future of automotive engineering.”
The vehicle, piloted by German extreme sportsmen Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer, ran on a lithium-ion battery developed from Evonik’s LITARION® electrodes and SEPARION® ceramic separators. The SEPARION® technology is non-flammable fabric woven from ceramic fibers and is manufactured exclusively by Evonik. This allows the battery cells to store energy generated from a portable wind turbine. The Wind Explorer’s lithium-ion battery technology is being used in Daimler’s new E-smart generation electric vehicles. Evonik’s silica-silane technology for rubber formulation reduced the rolling resistance of the vehicle’s tires, lowering fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Evonik’s Wind Explorer produced virtually zero emissions during its 3,000 mile journey across Australia, a distance roughly 200 miles further than from New York City to Los Angeles. The Wind Explorer was so resource-efficient that the wind turbine carried aboard could produce enough energy to travel 175-225 miles a day.
The Wind Explorer combines state-of-the-art lithium-ion technology, lightweight carbon fiber body, low friction tires and an aerodynamic shape to enhance fuel efficiency. (Credit: Evonik)
“Our 3,000 mile journey across Australia was a testament to the fact that automobiles no longer need to be bulky and consume a lot of fuel to cover long distances,” said Gion. “The Wind Explorer can bring innovation to the automotive industry through ‘green’ technology. This was a very unique achievement and we hope our expedition will inspire and encourage others to think outside the box.”
The Wind Explorer pilots set three world records during their coast-to-coast trip across Australia, including the first time a continent had been crossed by a vehicle powered by wind and lithium-ion batteries, the longest overall distance covered by an exclusively wind-powered automobile, and the longest distance covered in 36 hours by an electric and wind-powered vehicle.