Paris 2008: Venturi Eclectic, the production version

While Venturi has cars that drive on the bleeding edge of technology and cost more than several Tesla Roadsters they have not forgotten those of us with more modest means and lesser needs. For folks with as little as €15,000 ($20,700) in pocket and no desire to cruise faster than 45 Kph (28 Mph) there is the newly revised Venturi Eclectric. You may remember the original Eclectic Concept from the 2006 Paris Motor Show with its box shape and open cockpit. This newer version is a little smaller, slightly more aerodynamic and includes doors on its accessory list.

Like its forerunner, there are solar panels affixed to the roof that can offer a couple free klicks of mobility each sunny day and an available 300 watt wind turbine that is said to be good for 13 kilometers (8 miles) when it's breezy. If you find yourself out of juice after sundown on a still night you can always plug in the on-board charger and be ready to go its battery-only distance of 50 kilometers (31 miles) in as little as five hours. Production of the neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) is set to begin in October of 2009 with as many as 3,000 units being produced each year at a new Venturi factory near Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France. You can get even more details at the Eclectic website.

[Source: Venturi]