Chrysler dropped the other shoe, pre-bailout PR-wise. It’s officially official: ChryCo’s ironically named ENVI group is creating three new electric vehicles: a Dodge sports car (based on the Lotus Europa), a Chrysler minivan and a Jeep. Chrysler claims the plug-in models will go into production as a “fleet” of 100 vehicles next year. They’ll go on sale to the general public in that most magic of model years 2010. The quick and dirty: the Dodge sports car is electric-only, with Chrysler claiming a range of up to 150 miles. The Jeep and Chrysler minivan have theoretical ranges of a Volt-like 40 miles, with “small” gasoline engines on board to “power the electric-drive system.” This sounds more like a generator to recharge the batteries, rather than an engine to simply power the car once the go-juice runs out. Recharge time for the sports car is claimed to be 4/8 hours, depending on your household voltage. As for the Jeep and minivan, they would also plug-in to recharge the batteries; the ICE is for long drives only. As for the type of batteries, site of production, or most importantly – price – we have no idea. Chrysler, LLC may not have any idea about those either.
Update: Between the Lines Editorial Posted Here
The minivan is an idea long in coming, and probably has the highest chance of success. There’s a big, gaping hole in the market where a large, hybrid/electric seven-passenger vehicle (and no, the GMT900s don’t count) should be.
Of course, if Toyota gets a hybrid Sienna out the door first…
It is nice to see that at least 1 of the big 2.8 are making some progress. I did notice that the video said nothing about the price of these EV cars however I think they would have a better chance of selling a 40k EV minivan or Jeep than a freakin’ cobalt….
Only time will tell
.. and if that EV sports car sells.. well that will be the final Tesla death watch…
I can’t wait for the group test between the Tesla Roadster (nee Lotus Elise), Dodge EV Roadster (nee Lotus Europa) and Detroit Electric Elise (nee Lotus Elise).
Lotus laughs all the way to the bank, while everyone else wonders how the $100k EV roadster category just got so damn crowded.
I can’t think of a vehicle less suited for hybridization than a Jeep.
Lotus seems to be collecting electric car engineering and prototype money from just about everyone. Even the infamous ZAP! has a Lotus venture, the “ZAP-X! SUV! OMG!”.
40 miles on a mini-van isn’t bad, but most families buy a mini-van for long family trips in addition to shuttling around town. That particular vehicle will have to rely on the ice to get it around more often than not I suspect, especially if it is fully loaded.
It seems a hybrid min-van would make more sense than a pure EV.
MrDot :
September 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I can’t think of a vehicle less suited for hybridization than a Jeep.
Sure, however Jeep is the one brand name that they have going for them. Although I’d never by a 4×2 Jeep, I assume this JK would be.
I think Honda looked into and gave up on the idea of a hybrid minivan. Instead Honda may release a diesel Odyssey for Model Year 2010 (that number again) BUT in the fall of 2009, so just a year from now.
Something like a Dodge Sprinter, an airport van, would be very useful with an all electric mode. Have you ever been to the Ground Transportation lane at an airport and been gassed out by diesel fumes?
I can’t think of a vehicle less suited for hybridization than a Jeep.
I would have to disagree. I think unlike the current oversize hybrid Chevy SUVs this thing could be a real game changer. The 4 door Wrangler is the closest thing to the increasingly unpopular (any maybe disappearing) Hummer brand and by making it an EV, it would be like having your cake and eating it too for those big’ ol’ tough truck lovin’ Americans. If Hummer tanks and this makes it to production with a some what decent price tag, I’d be willing to bet it would have quite the waiting list.
Big ‘ol truck lovin’ Americans want something more shiny and comfy than a Wrangler.
Sports cars generally sell in small numbers. Either the electric variety is going to outsell the current bunch–an odd situation–or these manufacturers are going to be splitting a small pie.
Sports cars generally sell in small numbers. Either the electric variety is going to outsell the current bunch–an odd situation–or these manufacturers are going to be splitting a small pie.
Releasing an hybrid or hybrid/electric car means going up against Toyota (and to a lesser degree, Honda) on their own well-established turf. The domestics, quite frankly, are chicken–or at least aren’t willing to invest the money in a low-margin product with dubious returns, selling against a cash-flush and image-endowed competitor (aka “chicken”).
So they’re going for niche markets (trucks, sports cars) so as to avoid having to compete on virtues or deal with the lower margin involved in a mass-market electric or hybrid.
Remember how Toyota played duck-and-weave with the T100 and Tundra before the felt confident enough to take on the domestics in their strongest market? This is the same thing.
I would have to agree that a Wrangler has got to be the worst vehicle to choose.
A patriot would have been an excellent choice, but it may be to small.
A Hybrid GC would sell like gangbusters.
A wrangler 4 door is still a wrangler, it would be too crude to appeal to the masses.
The minivans… GOOD IDEA!
The wrangler will sell well as a utility vehicle for all sorts of commercial users. It’s not as silly as you think. For one thing, an electric wrangler may NEVER need to be disposed of. Those things could easily be retrofitted with new tech as well. When the new batteries with double range come out, the wrangler will hold them, and it will make sense to do the retrofit. The unibody cars may not be worth upgrading by that time.
The Europa is a MUCH better platform than the Elise for the US. I love the Elise, but it’s just too small.
The minivan could sell well, too.
Of course, will chryslerberus manage to screw it up? Likely. Who cares about range and cost if the thing needs constant repair.
My prediction – If they do ever make these cars, the only ones running after 8 years will have been retrofitted with so many after market parts that they will hardly still be a chrysler product.
It could be that Chrysler’s starting with GM’s hybrid transmission for the PHEVs… in which case, no small vehicles need apply.
GM’s not going to make a PHEV hybrid out of a GMT900 because it would take so many freakin’ batteries as to be beyond prohibitively expensive and all the way to insanely expensive.
Chrysler perhaps reasons that no one’s going to buy any of these, anyway, so exactly what they build is entirely unimportant, as long as they build something.
Since when is a jeep a commuter vehicle?
About it being electric: I think a jeep is a bit small but a landrover would be the perfect electric vehicle. You can use the generator/battery to power your tools while in the wilderness and if you use a woodpowered generator you wouldn’t even need to bring along your own fuel when your driving deep in Africa.
A Wrangler is the best electric vehicle.
Full torque from 0 RPM (Electric motors work this way) and individual control of each wheel makes for the best 4 wheeler ever.
Kixstart- the batteries will get cheaper and would fit into a GMT900 better than anything. Just line em up all under the floor.
What will the range of the minivan be if the thing is actually full of people and their stuff ?. More weight= less range .
I could see it being used as a taxi though.
Why are the people at Cerberus sounding more and more like John DeLorean every day…or (really sadly) George W Bush?
Uh, did anyone get (bother) to look under the hood?
Is this real or more vaporware? Maybe I missed it, but none of the press releases gives a pic of a real system, just graphics. I’d be curious to know how much of a production intent prototype these are.
psarhjinian: Releasing an hybrid or hybrid/electric car means going up against Toyota (and to a lesser degree, Honda) on their own well-established turf. The domestics, quite frankly, are chicken–or at least aren’t willing to invest the money in a low-margin product with dubious returns, selling against a cash-flush and image-endowed competitor (aka “chicken”).
And I have to wonder – why they don’t just use existing vehicles and hybridize them? Might mean a new floorpan but the rest of the car already exists in the parts bin.
The Cobalt, the Astra, the Aveo and the other versions of these same cars aren’t very compelling but they might be with a hybrid drivetrain. Build several and drive them across the country to gauge customer interest. Drive them from dealer to dealer and advertise their arrival so customers can come drive them. One to look at and one to drive on site. Tour in the spring, sell in the fall.
Now they have a desirable product without all the other vehicle development costs! They only have the develop the hybrid design and the floor pan (to accommodate the batteries).
The car corps need to spend like a mortal person and use what they already have in creative ways.
Again GM has plenty of good lightweight (relatively speaking) products in Europe and other markets. Bring them over, hybridize them and ADVERTISE them! I still haven’t seen an Astra or an advertisement for an Astra. Imagine a Corsa sold next to an Aveo. Both small cars from the same company but selling them together offers the customer more choices. It’s the only way I can justify the G3/Aveo combo. Same car but slightly different style.
Don’t try to fool me into believing it is a whole new car though. Sell them to me like Steak n’Shake sells me a milkshake. Here is a chocolate shake, and here is a strawberry shake. Take your choice. Otherwise, they are the same car and both are good choices.
This is a fundamental problem with their current dealer network for me. People don’t want to be taken for idiots and I know I have always felt like the car companies were trying to put one over on us by selling the same products under different wrappers. I wouldn’t feel half as aggravated if the Pontiac and the Chevy versions were sold side by side as the same vehicle with a different look and a different name.
What they fail to mention is that merely “dropping in” new tech into a time-worn platform will not result in an “efficient” vehicle; the battery tech doesn’t exist that could make a Jeep Wrangler (with its heavy, body on frame construction and piss-poor aerodynamics) go 40 miles; there would need to be extensive use of expensive, lightweight materials, lowering of height, etc. — in the end, you woudn’t have a Jeep anymore; and if it had any “off-road” capability at all, it would cost a hell of a lot more than is does now.
(Stop blowing smoke up our asses to get bailouts, puh-leeze!)
joeaverage:
Have you been to a Steak & Shake recently? Not just chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
Yeah, I know. :)
They’ve got about ten different shakes if you include the side-by-sides.
I’ve sworn them off. Like an SUV – for occasional use only.
Love their shakes and their shakes love me (right around the midsection).