[Right Wing Assault]

Make an asphalt that generates electricity from light, and pressure, and pave the heck out of the highways. Put these (picture of helical rotors) along the highway, at the sides of overpasses, etc, and generate power from the passing vehicles.

That new energy has to come from somewhere. Where?

Generating electricity from pressure due to passing vehicles MUST take energy from the vehicles. The road must be made slightly more flexible to generate electricity, which makes the road 'softer.' Everyone's gas mileage is slightly less. Net loss of energy.

Putting rotors along the highways uses the moving river of air generated by moving vehicles. When the air hits the rotors, it slows down. Cars run into this slower air and lose speed. Gas mileage for these cars is slightly less. Net loss of energy.

Sorry, no free lunch here. You are just stealing energy from the cars on the roads. And, since there is an energy conversion, some energy is lost. Hence the net loss of energy in both methods.

[Impala64ssa]

Yes, one of my physics professors way back when admonished us young skulls full of mush with TINSTAAFL, There is no such thing as a free lunch. And for those who don’t get it, BOHICA, Bend over, here it comes again.

[Lazamataz]

Damn that Conservation of Energy thing. Someone needs to pass a law!

[UCANSEE2]

OK. We'll just put small wind turbines on the backs of all vehicles. That will generate enough electricity to offset the loss to the soft road and roadside wind turbines.