Venturi and Michelin build all-electric Volage Concept

Posted Fri Oct 3 2008 8:34 AM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Volage concept features eight electric motors and can accelerate to 62mph from rest in five seconds

Venturi is most widely recognized for its all-electric Fetish, a compact Roadster similar to the Tesla Roadster that is still in development and is due to hit the streets in June of next year. The company, which is based in Monaco, has now presented a new electric concept in the form of the Volage, which is on display at the Paris Motor Show this week.

In building the concept, Venturi called upon Michelin to bestow its new ‘active wheel’ technology. The new feature utilizes two independent motors in each wheel - one to transmit power to the ground and the other to control the electronic suspension and braking system. In this way the car’s wheels are always connected to the road.

Its curvaceous body is constructed from carbon-fiber and its powertrain consists of eight electric motors, all powered by advanced lithium polymer batteries. Each motor outputs 55kW and 232Nm of torque. The dashboard features an LCD touchscreen panel that allows the driver to control the amount of power delivered to the wheels to help extend the driving range.

The Volage is capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in less than five seconds and can reach a top speed of close to 160mph. The driving range is an estimated 200 miles on a single charge.

According to Venturi, the Volage will enter production in 2012. Like the current Fetish, the Volage will be hand assembled in Monaco in very limited numbers.

Gallery: 2008 Venturi Volage Concept at Paris Motor Show

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Reader Comments

Sun Oct 5 2008 11:12 AM
Mike says

I quite like it, like a cross between a 1st gen. Audi tt and Opel GT. Wasn't Venturi the French company that made an Esprit-like sports car with a twin turbo V6 back in the '90s? I think they even raced it at Le Mans.

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