Abstract: A system to recover energy from the air stream associated with a moving vehicle has a turbine disposed within the air stream and operatively connected through a drive shaft to an electrical generator. The turbine has a plurality of vanes characterized by a pitch angle which is controllable so that when braking or decelerating the vanes are pitched at an angle to the air stream to assist in slowing the vehicle by increasing the drag of the wind on the vehicle and in generating electricity through the rotation of the turbine. A controller determines the pitch of the vanes based on the operating conditions of the vehicle and the actions of the user. The electrical generator may be provided with a plurality of rotors, each with its associated electrical coil. Each rotor is operatively connected to the drive shaft from the turbine by means of a releasable pin. One or any number of rotors up to the full complement may be selected to be connected to the drive shaft at any time.

Abstract: A system for producing electrical power on a wheeled vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a wheeled vehicle that has a chassis carried upon a plurality of wheel units where each wheel unit is rotatably coupled to the chassis. The wheel unit includes a wheel and a hub upon which the wheel rotates relative to the chassis. At least one of the wheel units is adapted to generate electricity and has at least one length of reactive wire and a magnetic field generator positioned in the wheel unit for relative motion therebetween during rotation of the wheel. The configuration induces an electrical flow in said length of reactive wire thereby producing electricity.