Engine
180-kilowatt electric motor |
Venturi's 2005 Fetish, a sleek $600,000 open-top roadster, is being billed by the boutique automaker as the world's first production electric sports car. That's a generous definition of "production," as only 25 of the vehicles will ever be built.
Former European racecar driver Gildo Pallanca-Pastor, an ex-Bugati investor, took over Monaco-based Venturi Automobiles two years ago. The Fetish first appeared then, but it carried a turbo-diesel engine. Pastor, over the objections of even his own company's engineers, inserted a central-mounted, 180-kilowatt, air-cooled electric motor.
The Fetish's electric motor needs only 4.5 seconds to go from zero to 62 mph. Venturi lists a top speed of 170 kilometers per hour, which equates to 105 mph. The exotic has a range of roughly 200 miles; it then needs to be plugged in for recharging. As an electric car, it has no need for hood scoops or fat exhaust pipes.
The Fetish's body is crafted from carbon fiber and is lightweight, weighing roughly 2,400 pounds, including the battery. A large hood provides an extended crumple zone, and the car meets European crash standards. Venturi hopes the car will be approved for the United States by January 2006. |
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