The Venturi Eclectic Car is something that just sparked some fire into my soul today. Makes me wonder what I could create with 30k and a golf cart.

Forget biodiesel and fuel cell-powered vehicles, how about a whip that doesn’t require any fuel whatsoever? The Venturi Eclectic, touted as an “autonomous energy vehicle,” gets its charge from wind gusts and 8.2 square feet of solar cells atop its roof. The four-person ride boasts a 22-horsepower purely electric engine, is powered by liquid-cooled NiMH batteries, and can reach a (yawn-inducing) top-end speed of nearly 32mph. While it’s no Wrightspeed X1, the designers had “daily driver” in mind when the Ecletic was crafted, but considering it’ll only roll 31 miles on a full charge, you best take the scenic route to work if you’re facing a long commute. The car does sport an option to recharge via AC power, should you face darker (and calmer) than expected conditions, but since it weighs just 772 pounds, a foursome shouldn’t have too much trouble using the tried and true “push method” if worse comes to worst. Scheduled for production in June 2007, this oh-so-green automombile will run you €24,000 ($30,511) — if you can manage to score one of the 200 that’ll be built, that is.

Source: Engadget

According to a recent study nearly 9 in 10 women (88 percent) say they’d rather chat up someone who owns the latest fuel-efficient car versus the latest sports car. So let’s just say that Guy who drive ‘Green’ get all the girls.

This just goes to prove ‘Green’ is a more valuable social commodity than the other green. If you get my drift.

Other interesting news included this:
Eighty percent of American car buyers would find someone with the latest fuel-efficient car more interesting to talk to at a party than someone with the latest sports car.

Source: Yahoo

You ever wonder what is holding back the development of All Electric Vehicles? I’d point to battery technology. Specifically it has a lot to do with battery technology. Large nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries to be exact.

Here’s some interesting history:
“In 1994, General Motors acquired a controlling interest in Ovonics’s battery development and manufacturing, including patents controlling the manufacturing of large nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. In 2001, Texaco purchased GM’s share in GM Ovonics. A few months later, Chevron acquired Texaco. In 2003, Texaco Ovonics Battery Systems was restructured into Cobasys, a 50/50 joint venture between Chevron and Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) Ovonics. Chevron’s influence over Cobasys extends beyond a strict 50/50 joint venture. Chevron holds a 19.99% interest in ECD Ovonics. Chevron also maintains veto power over any sale or licensing of NiMH technology. In addition, Chevron maintains the right to seize all of Cobasys’ intellectual property rights in the event that ECD Ovonics does not fulfill its contractual obligations.” via Wikipedia

Much of what holds up the development of Electric Cars is patents that are held by one of the world’s largest oil companies.

According to the Wall Street Journal, a Norwegian Company called Think, formerly a division of Ford is heading ashore to develop Electric Cars to help revolutionize the automotive industry.

This Silicon Valley backed company hopes to make inroads in the automotive industry and I think it’s a smart time to invest in companies that are looking to develop green technologies especially with the rising gas prices and national security concerns over our dependence on foreign oil.

Norway’s Think Global AS, with backing from U.S. venture capital investors, plans to produce and sell a small all-electric car in the U.S. that could go as far as 110 miles when fully charged – fresh evidence that the race to woo American consumers with electric cars is heating up and drawing interest from the same investors that helped build Silicon Valley.