Venturi AstroLab - A Solar Car

With a top speed of 120 km/hr and range of 110 km, Venturi Astrolab is a real “Solar Commuter” making extensive trips on a daily basis.

Astrolab : (latin astro = star, labe = to take)
Takes energy from the sun, in order to move…

ELECTRO-SOLAR HYBRID

With 3.6 sqm of photovoltaic cells giving an exceptional yield of 21%, Astrolab innovates by presenting Astrolab, a unique concept of a “zero emission” vehicle.

Launched at the Paris Motor Show 2006, Astrolab thus did not passed unnoticed in the Los Angeles traffic (see photos and video enclosed) while it was presented in the United States in November 2007.

Capable of working with very little energy (16 kWc engine) and of recharging even when in motion, this vehicle of another era does not need to be permanently exposed to the sun in order to move. Its last-generation NiMH Venturi NIV-7 batteries – liquid cooled – in fact enable it to restitute stored energy, whether solar or from the electricity supply, making it the first electro-solar hybrid vehicle.

With a top speed of 120 km/hr and autonomy of 110 km, Astrolab is a real “Solar Commuter” making extensive trips on a daily basis.

Astrolab is a vehicle with a considerable technological head-start on all other productions worldwide. It meets the needs of people's inter-urban travel, at the forefront of the best that is being achieved in terms of technology.


CONSUMPTION = 0, EMISSIONS = 0

This is very first vehicle that consumes no fossile resources in order to work : the emissions of CO2 required for its construction will even be compensated for by environmental actions.

A parallel can be drawn between Astrolab and a sailboat : both advance silently while making best use of the elements provided by Nature. And the piloting of both makes for sensations unlike any other.

To attain this level of performance while using very little energy, Astrolab has been designed like a Formula 1: its carbon monocoque chassis is ultra-light and serves as an oversized protection cell ensuring the safety of its occupants in the event of a collision. Its profile recalls the aqua-dynamic design of great racing yachts.


A NEW ERA IN TERMS OF DESIGN

Astrolab also opens up a new era as regards automobile architecture: light and high-profiled, it offers the rays of the sun 3.6 sqm of today’s most sophisticated photovoltaic cells (for an overall vehicle length under 4 m).

Its designer Sacha Lakic describes Astrolab as: “a flying wing set on four wheels”.

Optimized to incorporate its solar cells, the Astrolab’s design takes into account the effect of passengers’ weight on the vehicle’s dynamic behavior. Very light when empty, the tandem architecture makes for perfect balance, whether the vehicle is occupied by one person or two.
With Astrolab, Venturi has given priority to the solar solution as its energy conversion technology: all of its developments allow us to hope for even higher yields in the years to come. Within a 30-year perspective, Venturi is the only automobile manufacturer capable of presenting such a solution while ensuring new driving sensations and an essential aspect of automobiles: the dream.