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3,591 views Aug 16, 2011
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Sanya Skypump Electric Car Charging Station

Sanya Skypump Electric Car Charging Station

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Photovoltaic solar panels are quickly becoming the accepted ultimate accessory for any self-respecting electric car owner.  So much so that Ford recently announced that it has negotiated special discount pricing on SunPower solar panels, meaning 2012 Ford Focus Electric owners could get an array capable of charging up their car on sunshine for just $10,000. 

But if photovoltaic panels are getting a little too common, or you live in one of the states better known for its wind rather than its sunshine, a New York company has come up with a way to charge your electric car on wind power alone.  

Called the Sanya Skypump, the wind-powered charging station combines a 4 kilowatt vertical axis wind turbine atop a 42-foot tower, feeding a GE Wattstation charging point. 


Unlike traditional wind turbines, vertical axis wind turbines require very little space to operate, and are generally considered better for urban environments than their windmill-like ancestors. 

In winds between 7 and 26 mph, the Sanya Skypump should produce enough energy to charge an electric car, but of course the charging time does vary according to just how much energy the Skypump is able to harvest from the wind. 

General Electric GE WattStation charging

General Electric GE WattStation charging

At $30,000, the unit is primarily aimed at parking lots and other commercial installations where a six to eight hour recharge time is acceptable. 

And because the 42 foot towers are about the same height as a tall streetlight, they should blend in with existing street furniture, keeping local governments happy - although we’re not sure they come in green.

The Sanya Skypump is due to be tested in Barcelona, Beijing and New York City next year and we’ll be looking at the results with great interest. 

Gimmick or charging point of the future? Tell us in the Comments below. 

[Urban Green Energy via FastCompany]





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Comments (8)

  1. fb_542856692 avatar Rich Civil Posted: 8/16/2011 2:08pm PDT

    As the reality of our energy/ environmental situation becomes clear to more and more people we will see more and more innovative solutions like this.
     
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  2. fb_100000005296979 avatar Kent Beuchert Posted: 8/16/2011 3:07pm PDT

    Let's kill some more raptors, shall we. Wind power is evil and ugly, and a really crappy way to make completely uncontrolled power.
    Other than that ... P.S. we don't have any wind down here, nor does any portion of the Southeastern United States have other than trivial amounts. Thank God, that means we don't have to look at 14 story wind beanies like the fools in California.
     
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  3. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 8/16/2011 4:17pm PDT

    OK, Kent, it's time to ask: Please tone it down. Refrain from rude language and calling other people "fools". Thanks.
     
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  4. fb_1208977880 avatar Danny Santiago Posted: 8/16/2011 4:13pm PDT

    According to Wikipedia, "... the 1st century AD is the earliest known instance of using a wind-driven wheel to power a machine." This is very practical method of producing power that can use an infuse of modern technology to update its efficiency. I, for one, am thrilled to see more companies offering some freedom from and alternatives to the monopolized power grid that we have been shackled to.
     
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  5. fb_521456277 avatar Clifford Tindall Posted: 8/17/2011 7:24am PDT

    To Kent: Tell me how those "14 story beanies" look anything like this? They are nothing like this! Do you work for an oil company or something?
    Whats with constant testing? They work! Just install them now have the power fed into the grid and when EVs become mainstream they will be used for charging. And
     
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  6. fb_1002100295 avatar fb_1002100295 Posted: 8/17/2011 7:49am PDT

    And because the 42 foot towers are about the same height as a tall streetlight, they should blend in with existing street furniture, keeping local governments happy - although we’re not sure they come in green
    ****************************************************************
    Since when did STREET FIXTURES become FURNITURE? These online reporters these days... dunno about them. First off, Furniture is something you sit or lounge on. I'd like to see someone or lounge on a light fixture or a light pole lol
     
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  7. Houstondav avatar David Leal Posted: 8/17/2011 11:40am PDT

    Mr Evans
    Look up a word before you correct others in its proper use. A quick look at dictionary.com shows meaning below. Pay close attention to #3. Care to print a retraction of your comment?
    fur·ni·ture /'f?rn?t??r/ Show Spelled[fur-ni-cher] Show IPA
    noun
    1. the movable articles, as tables, chairs, desks or cabinets, required for use or ornament in a house, office, or the like.
    2. fittings, apparatus, or necessary accessories for something.
    3. equipment for streets and other public areas, as lighting standards, signs, benches, or litter bins.
    4. Also called bearer, dead metal. Printing . pieces of wood or metal, less than type high, set in and about pages of type to fill them out and hold the type in place in a chase.
     
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  8. fb_100002320805019 avatar Bryan Lund Posted: 8/20/2011 9:21am PDT

    The more of this type of technology we can get our hands on the better and the cheaper they are for everyday consumers to buy the better as well. Dependence on foreign oil needs to come to a close...and soon!
     
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