Solar-Powered Vehicles

Stéphane Foulon

Ride into the Sun

Monaco-based carmaker Venturi first began creating alternative-fuel vehicles in 2004, when it released the first electric sports car. Since then, Venturi has developed the Eclectic, which is one of the first vehicles to generate its energy from both sun and wind, along with an electric engine. The roof of the car is lined with solar panels, which alone power up to 4.4 miles of travel. The wind turbine attached to the roof of the car can fuel the car for an additional 9.3 miles. Both the solar panels and the wind turbine are constantly producing energy when there's sun and wind around, but the car uses more energy than either element can provide. But with the aid of a five hour electrical recharge, the car can drive about 31 miles at a maximum speed of 31 mph. Two hundred limited versions will be released in June, with prices starting at $33,000.

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