Man driving wind-powered car forced to prove that he's faster than wind after UCLA physics professor bets $10K he's wrong
Published on Sep 05, 2025 at 7:13 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Sep 05, 2025 at 8:42 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A man driving a wind-powered car was forced to prove that he’s faster than the wind, after a UCLA physics professor bet $10,000 that he was wrong.
YouTuber Veritasium had said in a previous video that going downwind faster than the wind was possible; however, a physics professor decided to tell him that he was, in fact, wrong about that.
The wind itself is the only power source in a car that can supposedly go faster than the wind that is actually pushing it.
A UCLA physics professor bet the YouTuber in 2021 that he was wrong, and it could cost either person up to $10,000.
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The wind-powered car bet could provide some interesting results
The physics professor, Alex Kusenko, argued that a gust is what pushed the car to a higher speed.
When the wind drops, the car is going faster than the wind.
But at the same time, the speed of the experimental vehicle is dropping.
The gradient of the wind is another factor, with it traveling faster the higher up it goes.
In combination with the previous wind speed factor, this is what leads Professor Kusenko to believe the car is not faster than the wind.
Theoretical analysis was also drawn upon to back up Kusenko’s theory that the car was slower.
Who won the bet between the YouTuber and the professor?
The YouTuber felt he didn’t do a good enough job initially to explain why he felt the ‘downwind car’ was faster than the wind.
But things like the wind gradient were measured during the run with the experimental car.
The wind-powered car achieved a top speed of around 27mph in a 10mph tailwind, and it was still accelerating.
So it looked like the professor could have been the one handing over the large lump of cash.
After conducting more research and gathering more evidence, the two were able to come to a conclusion.
Models made by Xyla Foxlin also aided in backing up the YouTuber’s data that the car was faster.
In the end, the professor did concede that, in fact, the car did go faster than the wind.
To his credit, Professor Kusenko did transfer $10,000 to the YouTuber as well!
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
