I just finished driving from Fort Collins, CO, to Park City, UT. About 450 miles into a headwind with gusts over 65 mph. It was godawful windy across the entire state of Wyoming. I-80 was closed to high-profile vehicles. Average speed for the trip was 67 mph. Mileage was just under 34 mpg. I can imagine it would have been even worse in a different vehicle, but it was still a bummer to see the gas gauge drop so quickly. We filled up twice because gas stations were few and far between and I wasn't sure how quickly the last 1/3 would disappear. I wonder what east-bound (with the wind) mileage would have been? That would have been fun. My guess is that our return trip won't have the advantage of huge wind, but in Wyoming, you never know. We'll get some tailwind, but likely not as intense.
These micro wind mills being developed for maybe charging cells phones. I figure put a million of em on the roof of Prius and get 100 MPG in the wind.
That would be cool! I thought for sure this was a hoax, but here it is: Micro-Windmills May One Day Power Your Smart Phone - Forbes and Technology uses micro-windmills to recharge cell phones -- ScienceDaily
OK, made the return trip. Yes, it was windy, but the overhead highway signs only warned 35+ mph gusts, which were, as always, from the west (so tailwind). 435 miles, 52.5 mpg, average 63 mph. That's a bit better!
