16 March 2010

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Venturi Volage

A major step forward for the automobile or one of the wackiest electric car designs yet? It seems opinions are divided about the Venturi Volage, but one thing is for certain – this exciting concept that debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show is a real head turner.

History of the Venturi Volage

Venturi Automobiles is a French manufacturer of sports cars that made a name for itself in the mid 1980s and 1990s by building mid-engine coupes and roadsters with turbocharged POV engines and Renault gearboxes. It is widely considered to be France’s answer to Ferrari and has won fame through various brilliant performances particularly at the 24 Hours of Le Mans competition.

The company unveiled an all-new concept at the 2008 Paris Motor Show in the form of the Venturi Volage, an all carbon-fibre car that is the first to use the Michelin Active Wheel. According to the company’s Press release when the vehicle was first unveiled, the Venturi Volage represents radical changes in terms of a vehicle’s architecture, style and dynamic behaviour.

It is also dubbed the ‘car of the digital era’ with a dashboard touchscreen that allows the driver to configure the vehicle to their wishes. This gives the driver the chance to control the energy stored in the car’s batteries to decide whether to give preference to range or power, comfort or speed.

Environmental credentials of the Venturi Volage

The Venturi Volage will be one of only a small group of electric cars to offer appeal to the highest echelon of automobile enthusiasts. It will be a sports car with real environmental credentials, with rivals such as the Tesla Roadster and Fisker Karma.

As an electric car it has zero direct emissions – although until electricity comes from renewable resources it can be argued that the emissions are merely displaced. Nevertheless, the Venturi Volage has far superior efficiency compared to conventional models in its range. This is in part thanks to the use of Michelin Active Wheel Technology. This sees two independent motors incorporated into each wheel. One motor puts power into driving the wheel while the other controls the wheel’s electric suspension. This keeps the vehicle in touch with the road.

With carbon fibre bodywork, the vehicle is streamlined and aerodynamic and also extremely safe with the batteries carried within the structure.

Venturi Volage statistics

Here are some crucial statistics about the Venturi Volage:

Acceleration: 0-60mph in less than five seconds.
Charge time: With board charger in eight hours.
CO2 emissions: None.
Range: Estimated 200 miles.
Top speed: 150km/h.
Torque: 232Nm.

Future of the Venturi Volage

The Venturi Volage will be assembled by hand for a limited production run. No price has yet been quoted but the first vehicles are likely to be available from 2012. For more updates check out the latest news section of TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.

Author: Lee Sibbald, March 26, 2009

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