Autoblog Green http://green.autoblog.com Autoblog Green http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog Green http://green.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan RothThe podcast by the people who obsessively cover the auto industry.<![CDATA[Carver Europe files for bankruptcy, technology may live on]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/carver-europe-files-for-bankruptcy-technology-may-live-on/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/carver-europe-files-for-bankruptcy-technology-may-live-on/http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/30/carver-europe-files-for-bankruptcy-technology-may-live-on/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Carver One - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've been following the story of the Carver One leaning three-wheeler for the last few years, and we've often thought the vehicle was a great idea just waiting to catch on. Unfortunately, the company may never build another vehicle of its own as it's just gone bankrupt after a major deal reportedly fell through in May.

The problem - as often is the case when innovative technology first hits the market - was the Carver's high price. According to Carver Europe director Willem Verheul:
Too few people wanted to buy the ingenious sports car at 50,000 euros. We had [planned for] about 300 vehicles sold per year, but in two years, only 200 were purchased.
If there's any ray of sunshine to the bad news, it's that the Advanced Technology Licensing Company is still in business, so there's still hope that future vehicles will come to market using Carver's innovative leaning three-wheel technology. No word on how or if this affects Persu Mobility (formerly Venture Vehicles).

Gallery: Carver One


[Source: The Kneeslider]

Carver Europe files for bankruptcy, technology may live on originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carvercarver bankruptcarver europecarver onecarver three-wheelercarver trikecarver-oneCarverBankruptCarverEuropeCarverOneCarverThree-wheelerCarverTrikeTue, 30 Jun 2009 08:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Venture Vehicles is now Persu Mobility and makes an Urban Life Vehicle (ULV)]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/08/venture-vehicles-is-now-persu-mobility-and-makes-an-urban-life-v/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/08/venture-vehicles-is-now-persu-mobility-and-makes-an-urban-life-v/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/08/venture-vehicles-is-now-persu-mobility-and-makes-an-urban-life-v/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for high-res image gallery of the Persu Hybrid

It may look the same, but this is not the VentureOne. As of today, the three-wheeled VentureOne you see above is called the Persu Hybrid. The company behind the car, Venture, has changed their name to Persu Mobility and says that "other corporations [that] have used derivations of the Venture name" is the reason for the switch. Guess we'll have to update our tags.

Persu Mobility is also getting into GM's ER-EV territory with this announcement: "[The Persu Hybrid] is a class of vehicle that literally doesn't exist today and we have coined a new term for it, the Urban Life Vehicle (ULV)." Whatever it's called, you can see the evolution of the vehicle by looking at the galleries below.

Read Persu Mobility's email after the jump. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Gallery: VentureOne & Carver three-wheelers


Gallery: Venture Vehicles Nov 07 design proposals


Gallery: New York 2008: VentureOne full-scale model


[Source: Persu Mobility]

Continue reading Venture Vehicles is now Persu Mobility and makes an Urban Life Vehicle (ULV)

Venture Vehicles is now Persu Mobility and makes an Urban Life Vehicle (ULV) originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>persupersu hybridpersu mobilityPersuHybridPersuMobilityventureventure oneventure vehiclesVentureOneVentureVehiclesMon, 08 Dec 2008 16:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Top 20 green cars we wish we could buy today, Number 13: VentureOne]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/top-20-green-cars-we-wish-we-could-buy-today-number-13-venture/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/top-20-green-cars-we-wish-we-could-buy-today-number-13-venture/http://green.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/top-20-green-cars-we-wish-we-could-buy-today-number-13-venture/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click the VentureOne to enlarge and see a gallery

Venture Vehicles is taking the three-wheeled route with their VentureOne because it allows them to avoid the costly and time consuming engineering involved with automotive safety compliance. Because it has less than four wheels, it is considered a motorcycle and doesn't have to be crash tested or fitted with systems like airbags. That's a scary proposition to some, but for those who already ride motorcycles, the VentureOne looks to be an extreme experience second-to-none. Besides, a well-engineered vehicle with three wheels can be just as safe as any other.

Gallery: VentureOne & Carver three-wheelers


On to Number 12.

Top 20 green cars we wish we could buy today, Number 13: VentureOne originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>venture vehiclesventurebrothersventureoneVentureVehiclesTue, 22 Apr 2008 12:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Venture Vehicles shows new design proposals]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/11/19/venture-vehicles-shows-new-design-proposals/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/11/19/venture-vehicles-shows-new-design-proposals/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/11/19/venture-vehicles-shows-new-design-proposals/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click to enlarge

The team at Venture Vehicles is still hard at work on their proposed three-wheeled, tandem seat EV. Although the layout of the vehicle seems to be fixed, the final design of the bodywork is still a work in progress. The company has posted renderings of the the two latest candidates on the forum at their web-site. The company will now proceed to make full-scale of these two final designs before making a decision on which will get built. They hope to have most of the major components sourced and a name chosen by the beginning of the new year.

[Source: Venture Vehicles, thanks to Charles for the tip]

Venture Vehicles shows new design proposals originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ventureventure-oneventure-vehiclesventure-vehicles-design-proposalsMon, 19 Nov 2007 08:16:00 EST<![CDATA[C-NET tries to count all the electric car start-ups]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/10/27/c-net-tries-to-count-all-the-electric-car-start-ups/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/10/27/c-net-tries-to-count-all-the-electric-car-start-ups/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/10/27/c-net-tries-to-count-all-the-electric-car-start-ups/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,



C-NET's Michael Kanellos did a little thinking out loud this week when he tried to list all of the electric car start-up companies (not major automakers working on EVs). He counted 16 small companies. The names on this list will be familiar to just about anyone who reads AutoblogGreen, but I thought it was interesting to see them all gathered in one place:

Tesla Motors (sports cars), Wrightspeed (sports cars and plug-in drivetrains for trucks), Fisker Automotive (electric sedans), Zap (low-speed and sports cars), Miles Automotive (low speed), Zenn Motors (low speed), AC Propulsion (retrofitting Scions for electric), Phoenix Motorcars (SUVs), Aptera (three-wheelers), Porteon (low speed electrics), Lightning (sports cars in England), Reva (economy cars), Ultramotor (electric trishaws), Myers Motors (freakish three-wheelers featured in Goldmember), Think (electric economy cars) and Venture Vehicles (three-wheeled electric cars.).

I'd say the only "major" player that Kanellos missed is GEM, which has been making glorified golf carts for ages. Other contenders not on his list include Universal Electric Vehicle, American Electric Vehicle, G-Wiz and Hybrid Technologies. I'm sure there's at least a couple more we're missing, but we're already got over 20 small EV companies. Pretty soon, he figures, this list will be much easier to calculate: "History shows that most of these companies will be wiped out." So it goes, as my favorite author would write.

[Source: C-NET]

C-NET tries to count all the electric car start-ups originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>electric-carelectric-carselectric-vehicleelectric-vehiclesmilesphoenixteslauevzapzennSat, 27 Oct 2007 17:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Venture Vehicles gets $6 Million in Venture Capital]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/venture-vehicles-gets-6-million-in-venture-capital/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/venture-vehicles-gets-6-million-in-venture-capital/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/22/venture-vehicles-gets-6-million-in-venture-capital/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click the VentureOne to enlarge and see a gallery

Venture Vehicles, the company working on the articulated three wheeled VentureOne vehicle, has just taken a big step toward financial sustainability for itself. They've received $6 million in Series A venture capital funding from NGEN Partners. Like Zap and Aptera Motors, Venture is taking the three wheeler route because it allows them to avoid the costly and time consuming process and engineering involved with automotive safety compliance.

Anything with less than four wheels is considered a motorcycle and doesn't have to be crash tested or fitted with systems like airbags. All of that saves a lot of money and weight which is critical for electrically driven vehicles to maximize range.

[Source: Dow Jones]

Venture Vehicles gets $6 Million in Venture Capital originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Venture CapitalVentureCapitalWed, 22 Aug 2007 15:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles, part two - safety and sales]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/20/interview-with-ian-bruce-founder-of-venture-vehicles-part-two/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/20/interview-with-ian-bruce-founder-of-venture-vehicles-part-two/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/20/interview-with-ian-bruce-founder-of-venture-vehicles-part-two/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Click on the image for a gallery of 29 images of the VentureOne concept and the Carver three-wheeler.

This is the second part in an interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles, where he talks about safety aspects of the VentureOne concept, and projected sales growth. In the first part of the interview, Ian shared with us his background with Venture Vehicles, and comments on the design of the VentureOne. Click here to go to part one of the interview.

If you haven't already, be sure to read our guide to the VentureOne first as background to this insightful interview.

ABG: Is the small internal combustion engine used in the hybrid variant taken straight out of a motorbike? What flex-fuel capabilities does it have?

IB: The genset is the other main component in our series-hybrid configuration, and we have a great deal of flexibility in choosing the final configuration. The principal requirement is that it run efficiently while generating a sustained 15kW using standard gasoline, E100, or any blend in between. We only require a small sensor in the fuel system that can detect the relative percentage of ethanol in the fuel and adjust the injection volumes to suit. We plan to use the airflow from the battery cooling system to keep the fuel lines and engine at a minimum temperature, and avoid any cold weather start-up problems associated with E100.

Interview continues after the jump.

Continue reading Interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles, part two - safety and sales

Interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles, part two - safety and sales originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a123a123 systemsAny ChuAutoPacificbatteryBMW DesignWorksBrian Huffcaliforniacalifornia motorscarverCarver EngineeringconceptDaihatsufounderGX3Howard Levineian bruceli-ionPlastalsi systemsSiSystemsswift engineeringTAKATA-PETRIteslathree-wheelerventure vehiclesventureoneVentureVehiclesvolkswagenTue, 20 Feb 2007 08:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles, part one - background and design]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/19/interview-with-ian-bruce-founder-of-venture-vehicles-part-one/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/19/interview-with-ian-bruce-founder-of-venture-vehicles-part-one/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/19/interview-with-ian-bruce-founder-of-venture-vehicles-part-one/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Click on the image for a gallery of 29 images of the VentureOne concept and the Carver three-wheeler.

It is my pleasure to bring you a comprehensive interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles and their EVP Design & Engineering. Venture Vehicles are creating the VentureOne, a new, greener version of the Carver three-wheeler to be designed and built in California. The Carver pioneered an innovative take on personal transport, combining aspects of both motorcycles and cars to create a fun and efficient way to cruise around. The VentureOne will build upon this platform with updates for safety, performance, improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

If you haven't already, be sure to read our guide to the VentureOne first as background to this insightful interview. Ian, who originally sent us details on the VentureOne himself, was incredibly generous with his time in answering my questions with the final interview being too long to post in one go. As such, I have split the interview in half and it will be run over two days.

Today, we cover Ian's personal background and involvement with Venture Vehicles, plus the design of the VentureOne concept.

ABG: What is your role with Venture Vehicles? Tell us a bit more about your background in the auto industry.

IB: I'm the founder of Venture Vehicles, along with my partner Howard Levine, but my official title is EVP of Design & Engineering. While I'm not coming from an automotive background, I've been an avid motorcycle enthusiast and general gear-head all my life. I don't think that's a detriment -- what was needed was the ability to recognize an opportunity, and the will to carry it out. Frankly, I couldn't see Ford or GM pursuing something like this much beyond the concept stage.

Volkswagen did with the GX3, but killed the project due to liability concerns. You're probably aware that VW's "Moonraker" team created the vehicle's styling -- but the actual chassis, or "mule", was designed, engineered, and built by Swift Engineering in Southern California.

The lead engineer on that project was Chris Norris, who is now doing the chassis, suspension and propulsion engineering for the VentureOne. We're fortunate to have him as he probably has more experience with 3-wheelers than anyone else in the country. (BTW: he was the one videotaping the back of my head).

Interview continues after the jump.

Continue reading Interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles, part one - background and design

Interview with Ian Bruce, founder of Venture Vehicles, part one - background and design originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 19 Feb 2007 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a123a123 systemsAny ChuAutoPacificbatteryBMW DesignWorksBrian Huffcaliforniacalifornia motorscarverCarver EngineeringconceptDaihatsufounderGX3Howard Levineian bruceli-ionPlastalswift engineeringTAKATA-PETRIteslathree-wheelerventure vehiclesventureoneVentureVehiclesvolkswagenMon, 19 Feb 2007 09:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Venture Vehicles to design and build 100 mpg three-wheeled road-going jetfighter]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/17/venture-vehicles-to-design-and-build-100-mpg-three-wheeled-road/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/17/venture-vehicles-to-design-and-build-100-mpg-three-wheeled-road/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/17/venture-vehicles-to-design-and-build-100-mpg-three-wheeled-road/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Click on the image for a gallery of 29 images of the VentureOne concept and the Carver three-wheeler.

Venture Vehicles has announced that they will develop a two passenger, three-wheeled vehicle powered by either a pure plug-in electric or plug-in hybrid petrol-electric powertrain. Under the working name of VentureOne, the new vehicle is to be designed and built in California based on the existing Carver three-wheeler already available in Europe.

Even with its single front wheel and its narrow form, the VentureOne arguably has more in common with a conventional car than a motorcycle due to the fully enclosed cabin, upright seating position, steering wheel, foot pedals and gear stick. The vehicle is actually the same height and length as a MINI Cooper but the driver sits as high off the road as they would in a BMW 3-Seriers.

Despite the VentureOne's height and narrow body, it will be very stable while rounding bends due to its most astounding feature, the ability to tilt the driver and passenger over as it corners. Like a motorcycle, this means that there is no 'overturning torque' on the wheels and the resultant forces always pass through the centre-line of the vehicle. The Carver three-wheeler pioneered the unique tilting design which allows the front wheel and both in-line passengers tilt up to 45 degrees while cornering even as the rear two wheels, anchored by the motor, remain firmly on the ground.

Carver describes the corner tilting sensation as "You steer it like a car, but when cornering it banks like a motorcycle while you feel like you are flying a jetfighter. The thrill of this tilting capability combined with the handling of a sports car makes for an exhilarating driving experience unlike any other."

Read on for more about the VentureOne and our upcoming interview after the jump.

[Editor's note: In-depth interview with Venture Vehicle's co-founder Ian Bruce is now available here, and we've got some video of the vehicle in action here.]

Continue reading Venture Vehicles to design and build 100 mpg three-wheeled road-going jetfighter

Venture Vehicles to design and build 100 mpg three-wheeled road-going jetfighter originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 17 Feb 2007 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>A123SystemscaliforniaCalifornia Motorscarverconcepteuropeevhybridian brucemotorcyclepevphevSwift EngineeringSwiftEngineeringthree-wheeltronventure vehiclesventureoneVentureVehiclesSat, 17 Feb 2007 11:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Video of Venture Vehicles playing around with a Carver three-wheeler]]>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/17/video-of-venture-vehicles-playing-around-with-a-carver-three-whe/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/17/video-of-venture-vehicles-playing-around-with-a-carver-three-whe/http://green.autoblog.com/2007/02/17/video-of-venture-vehicles-playing-around-with-a-carver-three-whe/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Here's a video of Ian Bruce, co-founder of Venture Vehicles, driving their new Carver three-wheeler. Venture Vehicles are going to design and build their own highly efficient three-wheeler based on Carver's technology with hybrid and all-electric powertrains.

Analysis: Looks like a whole lot of fun to me! Check out Venture Vehicles video page for more great Carver action.

Look out for our upcoming interview with Ian Bruce, co-founder of Venture Vehicles for more on the VentureOne.

Related:
[Source: Venture Vehicles]

Video of Venture Vehicles playing around with a Carver three-wheeler originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 17 Feb 2007 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>carverian bruceventure vehiclesventureoneVentureVehiclesvideoyoutubeSat, 17 Feb 2007 10:41:00 EST