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6. VentureOne
Venture Vehicles (Los Angeles, Calif.) /// 100 mpg /// $22,000-$25,000 /// www.FlyTheRoad.com
The three-legged race to 100 mpg is on, and Venture Vehicles is at the start line with a slew of big-time backers and a full-scale model of its trikelike hybrid—an aerodynamic wunderkind they say will go 0 to 60 in 6 seconds. Based on the Carver vehicle, already available in Europe, the VentureOne is classified as a motorcycle, but Venture claims the tandem tilter is considerably safer. "Narrow vehicles can be quite unstable, but our vehicle will lean into curves to provide control," founder Ian Bruce told PM at the New York auto show in March. Add a fully enclosed body, steering wheel, foot pedals, gear lever and an upright seat as high off the road as a BMW 3 Series, and the VentureOne seems a lot more carlike than comic-book.
How it Works
The onboard gas/electric hybrid propulsion system uses a small rear-mounted internal-combustion engine that can burn gasoline, E100 pure ethanol or any blend in between. This engine is used to drive a generator in the range of 15 to 20 kilowatts, which in turn produces electricity that powers the vehicle's electric motors. But Venture will test two different prototypes for the AXP—one all-electric and one 100-plus-mph hybrid, with a Lithium-Ion battery pack. The Carver's Dynamic Vehicle Control, meanwhile, allows the VentureOne's front wheel—and its two passengers—to bank up to 45 degrees as it corners, with force passing through the centerline.
Bottom Line
Crazy as it may sound for such a seemingly weird design, Venture has said it will rev up production beyond the mockup it presented in New York and produce over 5,000 hybrid tilters per year, beginning as early as late 2009. Then again, with partners ranging from Roush to Swift Engineering, these Californians might curve right through production and into the driver's seat for the AXP—if its multitude of safety features hold true.
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