Manufacturer Venturi Automobiles | Production 2006 Designer Sacha Lakic | |
Electric motor 2006: 16 kW (21 hp; 22 PS), central rear mounted | ||
Launched at the Mondial de l’Automobile in 2006 and making optimum use of natural energy sources, the Astrolab is the first vehicle that consumes no fossil resources.
Technical specifications
The original Venturi Astrolab uses a 16 kW (21 hp; 22 PS) electric motor in place of the internal combustion engine fitted to most cars. This electric motor also had a claimed maximum torque output of 36.8 lb·ft (5 kg·m; 50 N·m), which was delivered instantly. The top speed of the Venturi Astrolab 74.5 mph (120 km/h).
With its bodywork composed of 3.6 m2 (39 sq ft) of high efficiency (21%) solar cells, the Astrolab is a unique concept of zero emission vehicle; it was unveiled at the Mondial de l’Automobile in 2006. The average daily intake of the solar cells 11 mi (18 km).
It is the first vehicle not to consume any fossil resources for propulsion and the CO2 released during its construction was compensated for by environmental initiatives.