Luxury Electric Cars: Today's Fétish may be tomorrow's obsession! The Venturi Fétish is a sports car in the spirit of the Lotus Elise with one very notable exception. The vehicle is solely powered by 100 58 KW/h lithium-ion batteries. It is the first electric sports car, as the Fétish made its debut in 2004 at the Paris Motorshow. The renowned Gérard Ducarouge, who worked on the design team for Ligier's first F1 design, the JS5, and Team Lotus, is the chief engineer of this precedent- setting project. Mr. Ducarouge's legendary accomplishments in F1 and auto circles are cited in various books.
The Fétish is a two-seater that weighs in at 2,400 pounds. One-third of the vehicle's weight consists of its power source of 100 lithium-ion batteries. The rear-central positioned engine has 242 horsepower, but can match the power of vehicles with 330 horsepower output. The engine is noiseless, and unlike conventional gas engines, the Fétish is capable of delivering very high levels of power and torque directly from the start of the ignition. Because of the nature of electric motors, all of its torque is available from zero RPM. This means that power is delivered instantly. Additionally, the vehicle can rev at 14,000 RPM, and it has adjustable engine braking. It goes from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and it has a top speed of 115.
The stylish Fétish features scissor doors, and its body is made of carbon fiber panels with a carbon and aluminum honeycomb chassis. The vehicle currently can travel around 220 miles before requiring a recharge of its batteries. The mileage range is expected to increase soon to 300 miles. The vehicle's second limitation is that it takes an hour to fully recharge. However, this inconvenience is comparable to the time it usually takes now to wait in line to buy gas at the cheapest petroleum-products supplier of an area.
The sporty Fétish is one of three alternative-source vehicles made by Monaco-based Venturi Automobiles. The Eclectic and the Astrolab are electro-solar hybrid vehicles that round out the lineup. Compared to current vehicular designs in the marketplace, both vehicles are esoteric despite embodying uber-bleeding-edge technology.
The future of automotive design is no longer flat thanks to innovative companies like Venturi Automobiles.
If the new age of electric sports cars give you a charge, see the article on the sassy
Tesla by Tesla Motors in the Autos & Vehicles section of JustLuxé.
For LxM James Rothaar
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