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Steven Foulon
AS A FUEL-FREE RIDE
It looks like a lunar lander, but what's really out of this world about the Venturi Eclectic tribrid is that-for short distances, at least--it can be powered entirely by wind and sun. Thanks to its onboard wind turbine, a mere breeze can juice the car's battery enough to provide nine miles of driving. You get three to four more miles from solar panels on the roof. (To go farther than the grocery store, you need the car's plug-in battery.) Without sides, the Venturi is not the safest, although its designers say it's intended more for errand running than for highway merging. Last year, the company sold 200 early versions of the car for $33,000 each; more mainstream models were unveiled in October. Whether or not this particular car catches on, the hope is that its innovative technology will.
It looks like a lunar lander, but what's really out of this world about the Venturi Eclectic tribrid is that-for short distances, at least--it can be powered entirely by wind and sun. Thanks to its onboard wind turbine, a mere breeze can juice the car's battery enough to provide nine miles of driving. You get three to four more miles from solar panels on the roof. (To go farther than the grocery store, you need the car's plug-in battery.) Without sides, the Venturi is not the safest, although its designers say it's intended more for errand running than for highway merging. Last year, the company sold 200 early versions of the car for $33,000 each; more mainstream models were unveiled in October. Whether or not this particular car catches on, the hope is that its innovative technology will.
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Courtesy Venutre Vehicles, Inc.
AS A THRILL RIDE
As cars become smaller and sleeker with our changing energy needs, the experience of driving is likely to morph too. Enter the VentureOne, from a California manufacturer and a Dutch engineering firm. It's one of half a dozen three-wheel concept cars being developed that combine the fuel savings of hybrids with the excitement of riding something like a motorcycle. In this case, the car is the same height and length as a Mini Cooper, but the car's pilot--er, driver--is enclosed in the single front seat by a glass canopy. (Another passenger can sit in the single backseat.) And on a quick turn--yee-ha!--the vehicle tilts to one side. The cars are priced at about $25,000 and go on sale in early 2010.
As cars become smaller and sleeker with our changing energy needs, the experience of driving is likely to morph too. Enter the VentureOne, from a California manufacturer and a Dutch engineering firm. It's one of half a dozen three-wheel concept cars being developed that combine the fuel savings of hybrids with the excitement of riding something like a motorcycle. In this case, the car is the same height and length as a Mini Cooper, but the car's pilot--er, driver--is enclosed in the single front seat by a glass canopy. (Another passenger can sit in the single backseat.) And on a quick turn--yee-ha!--the vehicle tilts to one side. The cars are priced at about $25,000 and go on sale in early 2010.
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Courtesy www.tatanano.com
AS THE NEW BUG
When the $2,500 Nano debuted at the New Delhi car show last January, it was heralded as "transformational." That's because the four-door, ten-foot-long sub-subcompact from Tata Motors puts driving within reach of an entirely new segment of the world's population--the millions of motorbike and scooter riders of India. Other Asian markets are next, but experts say that the prospect of the whole Third World on four wheels could have outsize negatives (think global gridlock and massive CO2 emissions). Not that we have much right to complain about anyone else's fuel consumption: California currently burns through more gas than all of India.
When the $2,500 Nano debuted at the New Delhi car show last January, it was heralded as "transformational." That's because the four-door, ten-foot-long sub-subcompact from Tata Motors puts driving within reach of an entirely new segment of the world's population--the millions of motorbike and scooter riders of India. Other Asian markets are next, but experts say that the prospect of the whole Third World on four wheels could have outsize negatives (think global gridlock and massive CO2 emissions). Not that we have much right to complain about anyone else's fuel consumption: California currently burns through more gas than all of India.
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Courtesy Tesla Motors, Inc.
AS GOOD, CLEAN FUN
You know you'd feel smart driving an emissions-free car. But the Tesla Roadster--an all-electric sports car--is proving that losing a tailpipe can be stylish too. The two-seater, which looks (and costs) more like a Porsche than a Prius, not only accelerates from zero to 60 in four seconds but gets more than 200 miles per charge. And it's powered entirely by its lithium-ion battery, unlike hybrids, which have two separate systems: an electric motor and a gas engine. The downside? Meeting demand. Though the company has sold more than 1,000 of the six-figure vehicles, it has delivered only 30; the plan is to roll out close to 2,000 next year.
You know you'd feel smart driving an emissions-free car. But the Tesla Roadster--an all-electric sports car--is proving that losing a tailpipe can be stylish too. The two-seater, which looks (and costs) more like a Porsche than a Prius, not only accelerates from zero to 60 in four seconds but gets more than 200 miles per charge. And it's powered entirely by its lithium-ion battery, unlike hybrids, which have two separate systems: an electric motor and a gas engine. The downside? Meeting demand. Though the company has sold more than 1,000 of the six-figure vehicles, it has delivered only 30; the plan is to roll out close to 2,000 next year.
The Tesla one is interesting...lots of power and conventional car styling in an all-electric car...will be interesting to see how much of this moves beyond concept to mass production...