[GreenSquirrel]

We aren't the first and certainly won't be the last, it isn't a dumb idea, you can produce some pretty good sparks with 60MPH winds and an alternator. There was a university recently that had a car that used a huge turbine mechanically connected to the wheels and pushed into the wind, it worked (wouldn't be feasible for a real car). This concept of developing energy while burning it is something that deserves attention, the possibility of having an electric car that can cross the country without constant recharging would change everything. To put this in perspective, there are plans for aircraft 2-3 generations from now that would use electric turbines (powered by batteries) to generate thrust for takeoff, then glide and generate electricity to charge the batteries, discharge/thrust, glide-recharge until it reaches its destination. I was thinking of using a series of squirrel cage fans with only a fraction of the blades exposed to oncoming wind to generate electricity to directly run the motor(s) (recharge batteries while coasting).