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Leader
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records on two wheels. Also, we had the chance me is making an impossible dream come true.
to use Mercedes technology, so we seized it. I like intense, unusual, extraordinary projects.”
We are currently working on making the engine Is that what you believe? Is your next challenge
lighter-weight, so that it will be able to compete to reach the Moon?
in the under 300-kilo category. Our expertise in high-performance electric
vehicles speaks for itself. Whether they have
How did the Antarctica arise, the project of two or four wheels, or even caterpillar tracks,
the first electrically-powered polar exploration or they’re powered by a battery or petrol engine,
vehicle? ours are the best engines in their categories:
When Prince Albert II returned from Antarctica the Voxan Wattman, the Venturi VBB-2 and
in 2009, he asked me to use Venturi technology the Venturi VBB-3 are the fastest in the world
to develop the first polar exploration vehicle and the Antarctica is the only electric motor
capable of withstanding extreme temperatures able to function at -50° C. Now that we have
(-50° C). We unveiled Antarctica in December achieved that, I want to go further – into the
2011, to mark the 100th anniversary of the domain of space and to guide the Principality
conquest of the South Pole. in that adventure.

Gildo Pastor et son grand-père en visite sur un chantier
Gildo Pastor and his grand-father visiting a construction site Where is the project now? Is there an entrepreneur that you admire? An
We are working on the third-generation inspiration? Perhaps Elon Musk in the space
In 2004, the electric adventure began with the Antarctica, based on trials undertaken on the domain?
Fétish, the world’s first electric sports car... previous model in Canada, Everyone follows
The original idea was to make two series of the along with Prince Albert “… few onlookers their own path.
Fétish, one with a petrol engine and one with an II. We have reinforced the Elon Musk builds
electric motor. In the end, we decided only to vehicle overall and reduced believed in rockets but he’s not
design and manufacture the electric ones which the size of the windows allowed to make land
were, by the way, electric from A to Z, including in order to diminish heat our chances of vehicles – so I’ll try
the motor and all the electronic systems. We transfer. This phenomenal and take care of that
were the only ones doing it at the time! It was vehicle will go to Antarctica success.” part [he smiles].
very exciting. Over the past 20 years, we have in 2022. The next step will
continued to break land speed records and be to work on solutions for lunar vehicles. You are an atypical businessman as you do not
we strive to give more and more power to our Henceforth, I would like us to concentrate on want to commercialise your Venturi or Voxan
vehicles; motors are getting smaller and smaller space projects. electric vehicles. What is your business model?
and we establish partnerships with top-class My priority is not to commercialise the vehicles
constructors, such as Michelin, Mercedes and Are you working on a version of the Antarctica but to offer long-term electric mobility solutions.
many others. that would be able to drive on the Moon or The Venturi Group is a technology demonstrator,
Mars? acting as a guide to transportation and mobility
After electric cars, you have now moved on The Venturi Antarctica will be our laboratory professionals. For example, we suggested
to electric motorbikes with Voxan. Why the vehicle for our lunar vehicle projects. a collaboration with Michelin for the Voxan
new challenge? Wattman. Why did we do this? Because our
It’s quite simple: I wanted to try and break You have been known to say, “What interests bike is fitted with their high-performance tyres,
available in retail outlets. I thought it would be
Goodbye Venturi Formula E interesting for Michelin to see how their products
fared on an electrically-powered bike that flirts
with 400 kilometres an hour. It’s a policy of
In December 2020, Venturi Formula E changed hands. An American investment fund bought reaching out. My ambition is not to earn money
the Monégasque squad. This fund is headed up by Scott Swid and José Maria Aznar Botella, but rather to open up the way forward, to guide
son of the former Spanish Prime Minister, José Maria Aznar, and brother-in-law of Alejandro and to be like an open book.
Agar, one of Formula E’s founders. The two men were thinking of investing in Formula 1 before
deciding on Formula E. Venturi was one of the first teams to sign up for the 2014 Formula E What has been the impact of the Covid-19
championship. American film star, Leonardo DiCaprio, had even originally planned to invest crisis on your business activities?
in the team. This season, Venturi will be racing under the name ROKiT Venturi Racing. Suzie At the Venturi Group, no-one has fallen ill with
Wolff, the Team Principle, presents the driving duo, Edoardo Mortara and Norman Nato. At
the first e-Prix of the season in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, the team won a place on the podium. Covid-19, which is the most important thing.
Overall, we have lost some of our revenue,

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