Gone With the Wind

The future of vehicle design is always influenced by extreme prototypes that push the boundaries - either of speed, efficiency, power, or endurance.  Recently, just such a prototype set a new precedent for what is possible with wind powered vehicles and in doing so is helping to advance transportation technology.  Dubbed "Greenbird", this high-tech marvel is two vehicles in one: a land craft and an ice craft, powered only by the wind.  Its breakthrough design allows it to travel up to 5 times the real wind speed in ideal conditions. On March 26, 2009, the craft set a new world land speed record for wind powered vehicles, reaching 126.1 mph. The design is elegant, sophisticated and futuristic, yet still based on familiar aeronautical, and sailing principles.  It uses solid sails, much like an aircraft wing.

* The project is a partnership between Ecotricity (UK’s first & largest independent green electricity company), and engineer Richard Jenkins (founder of the Windjet Project).

* The project's aim is to break both the land and ice world speed records and the team hopes to both better that new record, and continue to work toward breaking the ice record in Winter 2009/10.