Chrysler Electric Vehicles
Casey Williams, www.car-data.com
When the Big 3 CEOs arrived in Washington for hearings a few weeks ago, GM’s Rick Wagonerarrived with the company’s 2010 Chevy Volt and 2009 Chevy Malibu while Ford’s Alan Mulally drove a2009 Escape Hybrid. Chrysler’s Bob Nardelli came in, get ready for this, a prototype Jeep Wranglerelectric vehicle. He also recently showed electric versions of the Chrysler Voyager mini-van and aLotus Europa-based Dodge EV sports car.
Said Bob Nardelli, Chrysler Chairman and CEO, ‘We have a social responsibility to our consumersto deliver environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient, advanced electric vehicles, and our intentionis to meet that responsibility quickly and more broadly than any other automobile manufacturer. Theintroduction of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge electric vehicles provides a glimpse of the very nearfuture, and demonstrates that we are serious and well along in the development of bringing electricvehicles to market.’
Chrysler’s aim is to have 100 electric vehicles in government and civil fleets during 2009 withmodels available to the driving public in 2010. The Wrangler Nardelli drove to Capitol Hill issimilar in concept to the Chevy Volt. It can drive up to 40 miles on pure electricity, then agasoline engine comes on to extend range. Chrysler claims the vehicle can travel up to 400 mileswith a full charge and 8 gallons of gasoline. The same system was demonstrated in one of Chrysler’sfamous Town & Country mini-vans.
Perhaps the most exciting, and most probable, electric car in Chrysler’s future is a Dodgesports car. The rear-drive two-seater is a pure electric car, powered by lithium ion batteries,268-horsepower electric motor, and integrated power controller. It can run 0-60 mph in less than 5seconds, cross the quarter in 13 seconds, and top out at 120 mph. Driven more reasonably, the DodgeEV has a range of 150-200 miles. Given the impending demise of the Viper, and spy photos of thesportster testing, the Dodge EV will probably be Chrysler’s first pure electric car.
A Jeep Wrangler extended-range electric car is probably not the most efficient use of lithiumion batteries, but it shows that not all advanced vehicles need to be hyper-aerodynamicfuturemobiles. I’m sure there are many families who would love an electric mini-van. Let’s hopeChrysler can bring these vehicles to market.
