Lotus Wind-Powered Car Factory Approved
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA 
on 07.30.08
Turbine Planning Decision Overturned
The Lotus car company announced that it was planning to install wind turbines at its plant in Norfolk, UK, way back in the early part of 2007. Since then it’s been a rocky road, with anti-wind groups resorting to misinformation to fight the project, but now our friends at Ecotricity, Lotus’ partners in this project, inform us that planning permission has finally been approved, despite the local council previously turning the project down. Dale Vince, CEO of Ecotricity, had this to say:
“We’re chuffed to bits. This is a great site for wind turbines and together with Lotus we’re going to create something really special, the world’s first car factory powered entirely from wind energy. This will be a massively influential project as the world starts to grapple with the energy crisis and climate change – the ultimate double whammy.
We hoped the council would take this second opportunity to approve this scheme, so that we could all avoid the waste of time and money an appeal would bring. In our hearts we expected another refusal, so we’re very pleased with the outcome.”
Construction is due to start early next year, with the turbines going online later in the summer.
::Ecotricity::via press release::
More on Lotus
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On the Right Track: Lotus to Harness Wind for Greener Manufacturing
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More on Ecotricity
Ecotricity CEO’s Electric Car Is “Not Another Tesla”
The TH Interview: Dale Vince
Dale Vince to Develop Electric Sports Car and Domestic Wind Turbine
Ecotricity and B&Q to Erect 2MW Wind Turbine
Zerocarbonista: Dale Vince of Ecotricity Launches New Blog
A Great Britain is a Green Britain: Dale Vince Challenges Gordon Brown
Ecotricity: 20 More Urban Wind Projects Planned
Ecotricity's 'Global Cooling Machines': Stunning Video
Popeye and Ecotricity Join Forces to Fight Climate Change
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Lotus should go directly into the wind turbine business. Lotus wind turbines would be the ultimate James Bond status symbol !
Lotus is producing the Tesla frame, suspension, and body.
Having this done in a wind powered factory is way cool!
I can't believe locals had a problem with this project.
RUNGA as run by Alan Benstead sounds quite like a similar group in the USA ... The one we found out was funded by an Oil company.
Finding out RUNGA got slammed for fraudulent advertising ...
Makes me suspicious.
If only the title had one more hyphen! (Wind-powered-car factory)
I think the whole concept is a very,very cool idea, but how about a power back up system like 4 -5 car batteries? or maybe a solar panel system?.. just in cause wind trubine doesnt kick in. Plus the cost of the car has to fit in a budget of $12,000.00 to $15,000.00, plus smaller cars say a 1 seater car $5,000.00 to $7,000.00. Eco friendly equals eco money! The car has to have a unique style to it not ugly but nice. another cool thing have a limit of 100mph, no 1 wants a car that reaches 50mph limit on the their gage board!