Eclectic – Entirely Self-powered Car
Venturi – creators of the Eclectic , the autonomous automobile, is the worlds first production solar-electric car.
The trouble with most green-concept cars is that they require regular “refueling” with hard-to-get hydrogen or ethanol. The Venturi Eclectic runs solely on wind and solar power. Solar cells blanket the rooftop, and a wind turbine provides extra juice. When that’s not enough, a backup electric outlet can recharge the three-seat Eclectic in five hours.
The 22 hp, 50Nm electric motor is charged by 2.5 square meters of solar panels on the roof of the vehicle. There is also a force wheel to turn the wind into electric power. The car can cover 50km at 50 mph on a full charge. 200 vehicles, which look more like golf carts than cars, will be made starting in June of next year, costing 24,000 euros each.
The Eclectic, which looks similar to a squashed robot, is very comfortable and manageable as an urban get-around car. And get this: It only has two buttons for motion (one for Drive and another for Reverse), though that one gear would suggest Venturi isn’t trying to match up to the high-performance plug-in capabilities of the Tesla Roadster. No, the Eclectic’s real purpose is as a neighborhood electric vehicle such as DaimlerChrysler’s old GEM. Heck, even the doors are optional on this little green buggy.
But the sun shining down through the translucent solar roof gave the ride an airy feel in our SoCal climate. The Eclectic is breezy, fun and actually quite exhilarating. Like all electric cars, it’s very quiet and superbly smooth on the road—you hardly feel the regenerative braking as it helps recharge the battery pack. There’s no power steering, but at a mere 882 pounds, this ultralight vehicle doesn’t really need it. The real rush you get isn’t from street performance; it’s the looks on the street. With Venturi pushing custom doorplates, the Eclectic strikes us as the ultimate marketing car for any company looking to show off its eco-friendly side—or the cops.
Cynical of more early green-car hype? You should be. The Eclectic certainly won’t be for the family car market when the first 200 production models launch in the U.S. next March, with its low speed and puttering range. And don’t forget safety implications; this thing’s got slightly-better-than-motorcycle crash protection. But the technology is innovative: The Eclectic’s solar recharging system provides an extra 4 to 5 miles per day of exposure, and a tiny turbine gives an extra 10 miles per day in windy areas. And with power from a standard wall plug, a full recharge of the Hawker nickel-metal-hydride battery takes 5 hours. Venturi says the pack will last 500 cycles, with an option for a larger capacity battery that charges in 3 hours and offers more range and a longer life span. If nothing else, this French golf-cart-on-steroids will bring the Holy Trinity of green-car firsts to market: solar, wind and electric. And that’s good enough for us.
