Electricity may be driving the future of the automotive industry, but maritime is taking a cue from the seafaring of yesteryear to make waves in sustainable car shipping—and we're liking the size of it.
Meet Oceanbird, a transatlantic titan from the Swedes that will become the world's largest wind-powered vessel if it sets sail as planned by 2024. With a capacity for transporting up to 7,000 cars, the 650 foot-long ship is designed to cut carbon emissions by 90 percent.
Oceanbird, created by shipbuilding company Wallenius Marine, features five telescopic wind sails, each rising 260 feet in the air (making them the tallest ship sails ever made). The sails can rotate 360 degrees and retract if needed to clear bridges or withstand nasty weather. It's a design being described as "a mix of aero and marine engineering," with aerodynamically optimized rigging that works with the hull as one unit.
We like to think of it like tossing an airplane into the sea.