Venturi Eclectic

	The wild machine runs on hi-tech batteries that can be charged up using either its roof-mounted solar panels or the small wind turbine stored in the back

If you think the world's first wind-powered car sounds like a load of hot air, you would be wrong... as the Eclectic, made by French company Venturi, is ready to go on sale in Europe.

The wild machine runs on hi-tech batteries that can be charged up using either its roof-mounted solar panels or the small wind turbine stored in the back. A single top-up gives the car a range of more than 30 miles, while the maximum speed is 30mph.

The Eclectic goes on sale in June, with prices starting at £16,000. Designer Sacha Lakic said: "The energy that drives the car exists all around - it simply has to deploy its wind turbine or expose its solar cells."