this post was submitted on 07 Apr 2025
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But it doesn't help. If you are travelling forward under the force of the motor using the electricity, then using the wind from that forward motion to generate electricity with the turbine will produce less electricity than the extra energy needed to propel you forward when you have a turbine on the top creating air resistance. If you could use a motor to travel forward and use a wind turbine to capture energy from that motion in a way that produces more power than you put in, well that would be a source of infinite energy. It violates the law of conservation of energy.
The only thing I can think of is that it generates electricity from the wind when you are not moving. But considering the size of it, I can't imagine it's worth it to generate that tiny amount of electricity when stopped to then have that increased drag when moving causing you to use more power.
The only way I can see it being sensible is if it's easily detachable when you're actually riding it and the idea is for it to charge the bike with the wind when you're not riding
I think I've worked it out. I think it's not generating power from wind, it's additional thrust. It seems pointless since they could have put a bigger motor in?
The article in the OP links this source, but it only has an info sheet. It's in Chinese but it's just a list of specs. But there is one small hint. The top table has (assuming machine-translation is correct):
The bottom table has:
So I'm convinced the intention here is that the motor spins the wind turbine to pull the bike forward.
It doesn't seem to make sense from a thrust point of view, so I have a new theory - this contraption probably has a high centre of gravity and would tip over backwards if you accelerate too fast. They probably worked out a wind turbine on the top spreads the acceleration force and reduces this problem.
A lot of electric motorcycles have limiters on how fast you can turn the throttle to prevent riders who are used to ICE motors from throwing themselves off the bike with a massive wheelie due to the instant torque. I can't believe none of them thought to counteract the rotational force with an above-centre-of-mass propellor. Ingenious!