Racer and hot rodder creates charging solution for electric cars
A former racing driver and hot rodder has turned his attention to electric-car charging.
Jim Bardia currently owns an MG Metro 6R4 Group B rally car and a nitrous-boosted V-8 ambulance he uses to deliver stuffed animals to children’s hospitals. But his biggest project is Change Wind Corporation, which is marketing a unique EV charging solution called the Wind & Solar Tower.
As the name says, the 82-foot tower harnesses both wind and solar energy to charge electric cars. It consists of a six-helical-blade wind generator with a self-cleaning solar panel on top, all in a two-square-meter footprint. It can also be coupled with a 1,000-kwh energy storage array.
The solar and wind sources combined generate up to 52.5 kw, with a total annual output of 169,000 kwh, according to Change Wind Corporation. That’s enough to give 8,455 EVs per year a 20-kwh road-trip top-off, the company claims. Using the onsite battery storage, up to six vehicles can charge at a time.
Change Wind Corporation also claims its design can generate power with just 5-mph winds, versus a 26-mph minimum for commonly used propellor/pinwheels designs. The company also claims its design doesn’t produce as much noise as conventional wind turbines, has lower maintenance needs, and won’t kill birds.
Read the rest of the story at motorauthority.com at https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1135297_2022-toyota-mirai-price-specs-review-photos-info.