Venturi Astrolab

The Venturi Astrolab was an early-2000s concept battery electric car with adjunct energy provided from solar panels mounted to the vehicle. It was unveiled at the Mondial de l’Automobile in 2006.

Technical specifications
The original Venturi Astrolab uses a 16 kW 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 lbft, delivered instantly. The top speed of the Venturi Astrolab 74.5 mph.

With its bodywork composed of 3.6 m2 of high efficiency (21%) solar cells, the Astrolab was aiming for a concept of zero emission vehicle; it was unveiled at the Mondial de l’Automobile in 2006. The builder claimed that the average daily intake of the solar cells would enable a range of 18 km. If greater range is required, the onboard batteries extend this to 100 km.