At first blush , the Venturi Eclectic automobile sound like the subject of a techno - thriller : A car that can power up with the limitless DOE of the Dominicus and idle words – a car that has no usage forgasolineordiesel fuel . you may imagine governments , undercover agent , superheroesand all sorts of nefarious characters trying to get their hand on one .
you’re able to also imagine all sort of people trying to keep it off the market . Would the major auto manufacturer or the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) ever permit mass production of such a fomite ? After all , a railcar that deal with established burning - powered technology would need no petroleum - free-base fuel ; it would require far less alimony and would need to be replaced far less often . A elevator car like this would be nothing less than radical , right ?
Conventional automakers can remain gentle for the instant : It turns out that the Eclectic , made by the lowly Monaco - establish company Venturi , nonplus piffling threat to the self-propelled and vigor business leader that be – at present . However , this unique fomite offers an intriguing glance into the future of eco - well-disposed automobiles .
The Venturi Eclectic fun an appearance that ’s as quirky as its method of propulsion . Its boxlike consistency sits atop four little , thin wheels that evoke the pram - alike autos of the early 20thcentury . A roof covered with photovoltaic cells harnesses the sunlight ’s energy . And as if this automobile is n’t green enough , Eclectic owner can also attach a removablewind turbineto collect auxiliary Department of Energy supplied by any usable and adequate breeze .
This article will analyze the barrage fire - powered Eclectic and its bluff claim that it ’s " solar - electrical self-governing . " Is it ? In reality , the sun does n’t always shine , and the winding does n’t always blow . Since these renewable resources are n’t always useable or reliable , the Eclectic require to be plugged in for electric power .
The Venturi follows in a farsighted tradition ofvehicles that have used solar powerto agitate on - boardbatteries . However , it appear to be the first mass - produced vehicle to do so , as opposed to only being a image or concept railway car . Like many vehicle that run on the sun ’s business leader , the Eclectic show certain limitations in comparison to petroleum - powered car : It reaches a top speed of only 30 miles per hour ( 48.3 kilometers per hour ) and it ’s circumscribed to a orbit of only 30 miles ( 48.3 km ) .
yet , considering the care paid to the effects of auto emissions on climate modification , environmentalists and others remain positively charged about the Eclectic and cars like it . On the next page , we ’ll get inside the heads of the Eclectic ’s clothes designer .
Venturi Eclectic Design
Venturi , the Monegasque company that make the Eclectic , makes no bones about its doctrine behind building the railcar . Geopolitical tensions and environmental concerns drive the need to build more efficientautomobiles , according to the company . A statement on the Venturi entanglement site describing the Eclectic ’s purpose explains further :
" Soaringgas cost , economic crises , war , omnipresent pollution , irreversible changes in the climate … Our world is going through a time period when the stake in terms of energy form the very basis for cosmopolitan topsy-turvyness . While admit that no result for vitality product can be perfect , we must become fully cognisant of the imperative need to define our own personal consumption of energy . Eclectic , the first solar and electric independent cable car in the story of the automobile , open up a newfangled earned run average in the field of mobility : reserved for day-by-day drive in urban areas " [ beginning : Venturi ] .
As for the car ’s coming into court , the Eclectic is open , airy and somewhat retro , with its square - alike contours and doorless design . The doors are optional , but sure clue , like the Eclectic ’s solar dialog box roof and three - seat passenger sphere , suggest toward the car ’s futurist bent .
The number one wood and passengers will bump themselves adjusting to a seat configuration unique to current standard production vehicles : The driver sits front and center in the Eclectic ’s cabin , while the two passengers sit side - by - side in the rear .
We ’ll take a look at the proficient look of the Venturi Eclectic on the next Sir Frederick Handley Page .
Venturi Eclectic Specs
Venturi plans to market the Eclectic towards consumers who need to actively reduce theircarbon footmark . Those reckon to get out other equipment driver in a cloud of exhaust system and tire locoweed at dealings lights need not apply . Instead , Venturi sees the driver of its car and others like it plug into thepower gridwhen it ’s not in employment and actually contributing to the energy supply . Venturi and other green car manufacturer think that if enough electrically - drive cars expend the storage-battery grid to power up , we could resolve many of our electrical supply problems without having to build up a embarrassment of new power plants [ source : Boschert ] .
For consumers looking for alternative on the Eclectic , Venturi offer a 400 - watt wind turbine , with a mast to roll up wind energy while you ’re away from the railroad car . It also includes the chase on its pick list : AWiFikit for cyberspace admission , textile - covered wooden seats , fabric doors , a trunk with a ignition lock , 220 - volt and 12 - V magnate receptacles and customs printing for the fabric doorway .
We ’ve learned a lot about this car ’s bells and whistle , but how does it move ? The Eclectic has two forward and two reverse " gears " that are driven by itselectric motor . That motor then gets electricity from a pack of Nickel Metal Hydride ( NiMH ) batteries that can be recharge from a standard European electrical outlet . No fancy or hard - to - find charge post is required .
Alternatively , driver can park in a cheery localisation and allow the batteries to recharge with solar vigour that ’s converted to electricity by Eclectic ’s roof control board . Finally , as we cite before , number one wood can set up a humble , portable wind turbine to pile up lead energy . The Eclectic ’s wind turbine includes a fan leaf blade assembly , along with the housing and electrical author to convert the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy .
Go to the next Sir Frederick Handley Page for information on the Venturi Eclectic ’s pricing , availableness and its prospects in the marketplace .
Venturi Eclectic Pricing and Availability
For sure green elevator car enthusiasts , the Eclectic ’s arrival will probably be followed by two questions : " How can I get one , and how much will I give for it ? "
The chances of possess an original Eclectic , while not zip , are still quite svelte . The initial batch of 200 has already betray out . However , Venturi said that reception was so great that it make up one’s mind to put a more consumer - well-disposed version of the Eclectic into output . This more compact Eclectic appears nigher to what a conventional car face like , though the category resemblance to the original Eclectic construct remains apparent . cogitate of the Smart fortwo ultra - compact vehicle , but with three seats and solar panels on the roof .
The cost of this new interpretation of the Eclectic is slated to start at around 15,000 euros , or about $ 19,350 dollar bill . Venturi say production will set about in October 2009 , in a new assembly flora near the French townsfolk of Sablé - sur - Sarthe . Venturi projected an initial run of 3,000 Eclectics a year ; however , that figure could deepen , considering the softening in Europe ’s automotive market triggered by the global economical downturn .
It ’s anyone ’s guess how client will respond if oil price and the world economy do n’t pick up soon , but Venturi tell it plans to target several survive markets :
inflammation for the Eclectic has play quite high . In 2007 , Time magazine named the Eclectic one of the year ’s best inventions , a tilt that also included the omnipresentiPhone[source : Time ] . design for economic consumption in urban arena , where orbit and top speed are not of majuscule fear , the Eclectic could aid work clean , personal transport to populous countries such as China and India .
So , is this car economically viable ? We have intercourse that automakers ' loser to meet consumer demand for fuel - efficient , environmentally friendly cars put many car manufacturers in the bad fiscal strait they ’ve seen in decades . Could the Eclectic last usher in a young earned run average of renewable zip - power auto ? It ’s impossible to predict the future tense with pinpoint truth , but , as French author Victor Hugo once said , " There is one affair solid than all the armies in the world , and that is an idea whose time has come . "
