(Photo by geognerd on Flickr)
As we flip the calendar from 2008 to 2009 at HybridMile, it is time to look at hybrid car options in the coming year that may have flown under the radar. If you have been researching hybrid vehicles recently, you know all about the Toyota Prius and the Honda Accord hybrid. The upcoming year offers new hybrid vehicles from Venture Vehicles, Fisker Automotive and Venturi Automobiles that bring something new to the green vehicle market.
Los Angeles-based Venture Vehicles plans on selling three versions of its VentureOne plug-in vehicle in 2009. The VentureOne is a two-person, three-wheeled vehicles with a cockpit similar to a motorcycle. The base VentureOne model can travel up to 120 miles per charge with the help of 20kW electric motors in each wheel along with a 17kWh lithium ion battery. Venture Vehicles will also sell a plug-in hybrid with a four-gallon gas tank to extend the range of the 50kW motor and 3kWh lithium ion battery to 350 miles. The final VentureOne model is a 100kW plug-in hybrid that can travel 300 miles on a single charge and reach 120 MPH. Venture Vehicles will start selling this intriguing hybrid in 2009 at sticker prices between $18,000 and $23,000.
Fisker Automotive’s Karma sports car may not be as affordable as the VentureOne but its drive system is more powerful and better developed. The Fisker Karma will be available for $80,000 starting in September 2009 when the company works with its partners to reach its annual quota of 15,000. The Karma’s Q Drive System features a small gas engine, a lithium ion battery and can travel up to 50 miles on electric power alone. The plug-in Karma can be coupled with a full-length roof made from solar panels to extend range while decreasing gas consumption.
Venturi Automobiles is already selling a two-seat sports car called the Fetish that is lightweight (just over a ton), powerful (330 horsepower) and gets out of the garage fast (zero to 60 MPH in 4.3 seconds). The Venturi Fetish has a fast-charging capability that allows the driver to get one mile of driving range for each minute of charging from a traditional household outlet. Venturi has partnered with Intel to create an advanced monitoring system that allows a driver to keep track of real-time energy consumption and storage. While the Venturi Fetish has not yet been sold in the United States due to pending certification for highway travel, the Monaco-based automaker shipped 25 Fetishes worldwide this year to meet the needs of ambitious, green and well-heeled drivers.
