Wind powered RORMaxx EV concept updated details and images

When we first told you about the RORMaxx Formula AE solar/wind hybrid racecar, it looked little more than the dream of idealistic high school students. Now, they have released computer renderings that make the alternative-energy racer look one step closer to reality.

Eighteen-year-olds Rory Handel and Maxx Bricklin believe their vehicle can use strategically placed wind turbines and solar panels as a means for powering the car. Energy would be stored in ultracapacitors to provide instantaneous boosts of power. They believe this would result in a 0-60mph time below four seconds. Top speed would reach 155 mph.

Vehicle range is expected to be 200 miles per charge, although that figure would likely fluctuate based on the amount of solar power being taken in. Charge time is thought to be less than 90 minutes, but the group claims development of a new battery could take a full charge as little as six minutes. While this sounds a bit farfetched, if realized it could easily be licensed to auto manufacturers. It is unclear if the vehicle will also be plug-in to facilitate faster charging.

No plans yet for even a limited production run. The project is meant to inspire future car developers more than anything. If produced, pricing estimates range anywhere from $80,000 to $150,000. RORRMaxx expects to deliver a Formula AE prototype by August.

Press Release

Student venture RORMaxx Automotive utilizes ultracapacitors, solar panels, and airflow recovery to construct an alternative energy vehicle.

RORMaxx Automotive, a student venture out of Harvard-Westlake High School, is constructing a wind and electric powered vehicle. Eighteen-year-old high school seniors Rory Handel and Maxx Bricklin are developing the first student-built wind-assisted vehicle called Formula AE.

The ultracapacitors utilized in the vehicle will provide easily accessible power to the car at all times, avoiding the voltage drop problem in normal batteries. The ultracapacitors will address the high acceleration demands of a car, boosting the Formula AE car from zero to sixty miles per hour in less than 4 seconds. The vehicle will be limited by its gearing to a top speed around 155 miles per hour.

Formula AE will implement solar technology in the form of newly developed flexible thin-film photovoltaic cells. Laminated with a flexible flouropolymer, the cells will be protected from any damage and will be flexible enough to fit the aerodynamic form of the vehicle.

The battery of the car is projected to have a range greater than 200 miles per full charge, and should handle a full one-hour race without difficulty. The charge time of the battery is less than 1.5 hours, but a prototype battery currently in development could cut the charge time to just six minutes.

Finally, the vehicle will recover wind flow energy using intakes channeling air to a turbine fan. By constructing ducting to achieve an optimal wind speed, an appropriate generator Awill convert the airflow into usable energy for the car.

The Formula AE car is meant to be a technological showcase to inspire the automotive world to embrace these rarely thought of alternative sources of energy. Although there are currently no plans for commercial production, the car would likely have a projected retail between $80-150k (USD).

The Formula AE Prototype will be completed in August 2009.